In Water
by GhouliGhosties
Summary: Gaara is a 12 year old boy with autism. His siblings take him to the beach on a vacation while times are tough, and there he meets 14 year old Lee, who befriends him quickly. -AU- LeeGaa
1. Chapter 1

"This isn't a vacation."

Temari yanks Kankuro by his hoodie and drags him away from the two bikini-wearing underage ladies on the sidewalk.

"Hey, hey, let go," Kankuro yelps. He fights off his older sister's hold and straightens up. "I was this close," he squeezes his fingers for emphasis, "this close to getting her number."

"We aren't on vacation! We're here to help Gaara feel better."

Temari quickens her steps down the crowded streets. She dodges by an elderly couple and walks in front of them. Kankuro trails behind. He whistles at a brunette. Temari snaps him a hard look. He looks away from the girl and pretends to whistle at the clouds. Spring has barely begun and already the beach and the pier are filled with tourists from all corners of the world. It is what spring break does to people.

"Where's Gaara anyways?" Kankuro asks, tugging his hands into the pockets of his loose-fitting board shorts.

"He's waiting for us at the restaurant."

"You sure he'll be okay by himself?"

"He'll be fine by himself. It's the other people that I worry about."

"Then you probably shouldn't have left him alone." Kankuro clicks his tongue at a pair of blonde twins passing by.

"Will you hurry up? And stop flirting! This isn't about you."

"Look, if you're going to drag me all the way here, at least let me have some fun, alright?"

"How can you say that? Gaara's your brother too," Temari shouts, drawing unwanted attention to her. They stop at the crosswalk. The red 'Don't Cross' hand stares at them.

"I'm just saying… And you know… what you just said, I mean, the way how you said it… Well," Kankuro smirks, eying his sister with contempt, "you say it like he's a burden."

Temari glares at Kankuro. She heaves angrily and stomps her way across the street. Kankuro rolls his eyes at Temari's lack of willing to admit her problem. He follows her behind, keeping a distance from her. Once they reach the other side, Temari speaks up.

"It's hard," she says. "I don't know what he's thinking. I don't know what he wants. I don't know how to help him."

"I think he's perfectly happy in his own world. I mean, why we gotta keep intruding, you know? How'd you like it if someone keeps trying to get all up in your face?"

"He needs to socialize. He needs to communicate."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Kankuro rubs his nose. "He needs to be 'normal', right?"

Temari doesn't respond. She looks at the street sign at the block and turns left into a bustling street. The sweet aroma of ethnic food fills their nostrils. Kankuro licks his lips. Temari walks down, glancing around for the right restaurant.

"Gaara's fine the way he is," Kankuro murmurs, "stop trying to 'fix' him."

"I'm not trying to 'fix' him," Temari grumbles. "I'm trying to help."

Kankuro shrugs a 'whatever', keeping his hands in his pockets. He takes a quick stop to look over the gelato shop, mentally memorizing its location for a later visit. Temari walks ahead of him. She walks across the street to the other side and heads toward the restaurant with a big red and green sign. Kankuro catches up and opens the door for her. Temari slips through the glass door. The smell of freshly baked breads excites her. Kankuro spots his younger brother sitting in one of the maroon waiting chairs. He takes the seat next to him, kicking his feet as far as he can without blocking the way.

"You thought about what you wanna eat?" Kankuro asks. He reaches over and takes the menu from Gaara's limp hands.

Gaara lets Kankuro take the menu. He keeps his head low and stares at the fifth tile in front of him with a chipped corner. A thin line of grey grime fills the gap between the tiles. He has been sitting here for ten minutes and their table isn't ready yet. To past the time, he counts from a hundred to one slowly in his head. He is on twenty-six now.

"You wanna try the eggplants? You like them, don't you?" Kankuro points at the display picture of the eggplants.

Gaara counts to twenty-five in his head. Temari kneels a little in front of him so she is at his level. Gaara hasn't hit a growth spurt yet; his twelve-year-old body stands at a mere five feet two. Kankuro is taller than him by half a foot. Temari falls in the middle with her five feet five. She places a hand gingerly on the back of Gaara's.

"Why don't you go pick out a dessert you want for afterward?" She gestures toward the direction of the bakery.

Gaara doesn't look up, but he does get on his feet. He drags his way toward the bakery case. There is a large variety of desserts and cakes. Gaara gazes intensely at each and every one of the sweets. He looks from left to right. When he reaches the middle, he goes back to the left and moves down to the middle row. He examines his choices in the manner until he has taken all of them in. He lingers on a chocolate truffle cake, topped with a little red cherry. The baker leans on the counter and smiles down at Gaara. He is a chubby man who obviously enjoys the treats he made. He wears a white chef hat that barely fits his round head.

"Hello there, son. See something you like? The cherry pie just came out of the oven. How about it?"

Gaara walks over to the left side of the bakery case. He gazes at the truffle cake, having set his mind on it. The baker follows him to the side. He peeks over the counter and tries to see what Gaara is looking at. He bends behind the case and meets Gaara at eye-level. He stands back up, resting his arms on the counter.

"You like pudding? I got mango, chocolate, vanilla, bread, banana… Oh boy, you should really try the banana. It is heavenly."

Gaara stares at the cake like he is trying to win a staring contest. In his mind, he counts down to twelve. The baker waits, a little impatiently, for Gaara to give him an answer. He switches his weight on his tired feet and blows air out of his mouth. He forces a grin back on his chubby cheeks. He bends down again and opens the door. He picks up the plastic tongs and takes out a yellow-frosted cupcake with sprinkles. He leans over the counter and hands the cupcake to Gaara.

"I bet you like sprinkles, huh? Here, go on, take it," the baker says with a weak smile. "I'll just charge it to your table."

Gaara doesn't look up at the cupcake hovering near his face. He only sees the chocolate truffle cake and he only wants it. He stares at it with enough intensity to drill through the glass barrier if he has superpower. The baker whispers a complaint and takes the cupcake back. He puts it back to join its brothers and slides the door close roughly.

"If you don't want anything, get a move on, kid. You're ruining my business." He bats his hand at Gaara like he is a pestering fly. When Gaara doesn't budge, he moves down to the other side instead. He eyes Gaara with vexation. His mouth spits out words that shouldn't be used to describe a twelve-year-old.

"Gaara! Our table is ready," Temari calls from the waiting area. "Come on."

Gaara pries himself away from the bakery. He keeps his eyes on the floor as he makes his way back to his siblings. He bumps into a tall, scrawny man who excuses himself, thinking that he is at fault for running into Gaara. Gaara walks next to Kankuro through the busy restaurant. He watches the expensive-looking navy carpet. He makes sure to step in the middle of the gold-lined square on every sixth step he takes. The host shows them to a corner booth. Gaara sneaks in front of Kankuro and scoots in the middle of the left-handed side. The older siblings sit across from him.

"Your waiter will be with you shortly. Enjoy your meal." The host gives them their menu and leaves with a forced smile.

Gaara readjusts his placemat so that it is perfectly in the middle of the rectangular table. He switches the forks to the side of the knife and puts the spoon next to the knife. He leans over the table and does the same thing to Temari's and Kankuro's placemats. He takes careful effort into placing the two placemats equally spaced from each other. He turns his attention the pepper and salt shakers and move them in between his and his siblings' placemats. He puts them in straight line with the pepper to his left and the salt to his right.

"Do you know what you want?" Temari asks, leafing through the menu.

"I'm getting the T-bone." Kankuro taps at the _Today's Special_. "And a large soda."

"Don't get a soda," Temari says to Kankuro. She lowers the menu and looks at her youngest brother. "What about you, Gaara?"

"Pasta," Gaara mutters, looking away at the wall. The dainty wall lamp suddenly has all of his attention. "With chicken."

"Okay, what kind of sauce you want?"

"No sauce," Gaara murmurs. He looks away from the wall lamp and stares at the corner of their table.

A well-groomed waiter comes over. He beams a bright smile at his guests. He puts down three paper coasters at the right corner of the placemats. Gaara perks up immediately and moves all the coasters to the left corners instead. The waiter gives him a curious look before he takes out the ordering pad.

"Hello, how are we all doing? Can I get you started with something to drink?"

"I'll have a root beer," Kankuro orders.

"I said no soda." Temari furrows her plucked brows.

"Root beer is not a soda. It's a root _beer_."

"It is…! Okay… I'm not going to argue with you." Temari turns to their server and acts civilized. "I'll have a cranberry juice."

"Root beer, cranberry juice," the waiter repeats. He turns toward Gaara with a smile. "What about you, sir?"

"He'll have an iced water," Temari answers, "with three cubes of ice. Three. Only three."

"Alrighty…" The waiter looks at Gaara, who is still staring at the table corner, with a questioning look. He turns back to Temari. "Would you like some appetizers?"

"No, I think we're ready to order." Temari flips open the menu. She points at what she wants. "I'll have the chopped salad with ranch."

"You came all the way here to get a freaking salad." Kankuro rolls his eyes at Temari, who ignores his comment. He says to the waiter, "Give me the T-bone."

"And for him?" The waiter gestures at Gaara with the tip of his pen.

"He'll have the pasta with grilled chicken, no sauce, and put the chicken on a separate plate from the pasta."

"What kind of pasta?" The waiter looks to Temari. Temari blinks at a loss of word. "We have Angel Hair, penne, linguini, fettuccini, and bow-tie."

"Which one do you want?" Temari asks Gaara.

Gaara looks away from the corner. He reaches for the menus. Instead of looking through them, he stacks them and pushes them over to the edge of the table horizontally. He then puts his fisted hands on the placemat and starts staring at the middle of the table.

"Gaara?" Temari touches his finger with caution. "Which one would you like?"

Gaara doesn't hear it. He counts in his head to zero and starts over again at one hundred. Temari taps his knuckle softly. She gives a quick look at the server and forces an embarrassed smile on her face. An awkward nervousness fills around them. Kankuro shifts in his seat and leans his elbows on the table.

"Hey, bro, what kind of noodle you want?"

"Fettuccini," Gaara mutters to his hands.

"Alright," the waiter says with a quiet exhausted sigh, "I'll be back shortly with your drinks."

The waiter leaves them with the menus in his hand. He walks one of his co-workers and whispers quietly in the middle-aged woman's ear. They both look at the direction of the table. Temari tries to pretend she doesn't see it. She leans back and crosses her arms over her chest. She looks frustrated and tired. Kankuro reaches over the table and ruffles his little brother's hair. Gaara doesn't react at the touch. Kankuro glances around him, keeping a keen eye out for any good-looking ladies. Temari rolls her eyes at everywhere but Gaara.

The waiter returns with a tray of their drinks. He puts down the root beer for Kankuro, the cranberry juice for Temari, and the iced water for Gaara. Gaara looks over at his glass of water. Before Temari can stop him, Gaara knocks down the glass. It falls off the table and spills on the carpet. Their waiter jumps back to avoid the splatter of the water. The tables near them stop eating and talking and look at their direction. The waiter is shocked and he looks like he wants to tell Gaara off. Kankuro looks at the water puddle and shrugs his shoulders at the waiter.

"We told you three ice cubes."

"What?" The waiter looks down. There is three and a half ice cubes melting on the carpet. The half ice cube is barely bigger than a thumb nail. He looks at his guests in disbelief. "I-It's… I…"

Gaara puts his arms on the table and buries his face between them. Temari gives a weak rub on his shoulder, which makes Gaara sound a growl. She retreats her hand immediately and keeps it to herself.

"Will you please get us another glass of water?" Temari asks.

"Y-yeah… sure… three cubes." The waiter picks up the glass on the floor and puts it back on the tray. He walks to the bar, shaking his head the whole time.

The people around them resume their activities. Temari looks at the wall and sighs a little louder than she wanted to. She nudges at Kankuro's arm.

"I have to use the ladies' room," she says in a quick whisper.

Kankuro moves out of the way and Temari scoots out. She hurries toward the restrooms. Kankuro moves to the middle of the seat. He scratches the top of Gaara's hair.

"You alright?"

Gaara keeps his head planted between his arms. He counts to eighty-nine. The waiter returns with a glass of water just like they have ordered. Kankuro says a quiet thank-you.

"You must be hungry, huh?"

Gaara peeks at the water glass. Once he sees that it only has three cubes of ice, he pulls himself out of his cocoon. He takes the glass and cups it with both hands. He stares at the thick rim but doesn't take a sip. Kankuro watches the behavior. A realization comes to him. He smacks his forehead and gestures at a busboy.

"Can we get a straw here?"

Gaara puts in the straw and sips the water greedily. He finishes half of the glass by the time Temari comes back. Kankuro moves and lets her back in. She smiles at the sight of Gaara drinking his water like it is the most delicious thing ever. She looks like she is in a better mood.

"So what are we doing after this?" Kankuro asks, taking a gulp of his drink.

"You guys want to go back to the beach? Walk around for a bit?"

"Sure, that sounds good."

"You're just thinking about the girls."

"I'm not the only one who's going to benefit. I'm pretty sure that will be plenty of hot guys playing volleyball. Maybe you can take some balls to your face."

"Kankuro!" Temari scowls. "Watch your mouth."

"Why don't you watch yours?"

Temari scoffs and shifts away from Kankuro. She looks at Gaara finishing his glass of water. He sucks at the ices loudly. He lets the straw slip out of his mouth and pushes the glass to the middle of the table. He stares at the glass, as if it will magically be refilled.

"You wanna go, Gaara?" Temari pushes the glass to the edge for someone to take. "You've never been to a beach before."

"Water," Gaara mutters. He looks up at the ceiling and gazes at the chandeliers. "Water."

"Oh yeah, there'll be a lot of water. It's next to the ocean."

"You can go swimming," Kankuro says, "and I'll surf."

"You can't surf."

"I'll use this time to learn."

"You'll suck at it."

"I know what you'll suck at."

"Kankuro!"

The waiter comes over with four plates. He sets down the steak for Kankuro and the salad for Temari. He puts the separated plates of pasta and chicken in front of Gaara. He takes the water glass and puts it on the tray.

"Enjoy your meals," he says before he walks a little too quickly away.

Gaara pulls his pasta plate to the middle of the placemat and puts the chicken to his left. He scoots over to the chicken and starts to arrange the pieces by thinnest to thickest. The thinnest goes to the left and the thickest goes to the right. Kankuro munches on his bloody steak. Temari spreads her dressing over her salad. Gaara moves back in front of the pasta and spins his fork into it. He slurps the noodle. He eats two forks of pasta with one strip of chicken. When his water returns, he alters his pattern to two forks of pasta, one strip of chicken, and one sip of water.

From afar, they look like a perfectly normal family enjoying lunch.

* * *

Gaara's age: 12, Kankuro's age: 16, Temari's age: 18 going on 19


	2. Chapter 2

"Which way is the beach?"

"I'd assume it's where the big splash of blue is," Kankuro answers, pointing toward the ocean.

"Alright, let's get going."

Temari pushes open the restaurant door and slips outside. Kankuro holds the door open for Gaara, who doesn't look like he wants to leave. Gaara tosses his head at the direction of the bakery. He makes a small whine that only Kankuro hears since Temari is already outside. Kankuro lets the door close and steps over to his brother. He looks at where Gaara is looking and nods.

"Right, right, we forgot your dessert."

Gaara keeps his head down as he makes his way over to the bakery. The chubby baker sees him coming and the corner of his lips twists into a sneer. Gaara walks up to the case and points with his index finger at the chocolate truffle cake. He doesn't touch the glass. Kankuro stands next to him and bends down to see what he is pointing at.

"Cherry," Gaara mutters. "Chocolate cake with cherry."

"You want that one?" Kankuro taps at the glass. He stands up straight and waves at the baker, who comes over with a mean look. "Get me one of those."

"Will that be for here or to go?" The baker asks, eying Gaara.

"Uh, to go."

The baker slides the door open and takes out a slice of cake. He turns around to the kitchen counter behind him and places the cake in a nice little decorative box. He turns back around and puts the box on top of the bakery case. Gaara gets on his tip-toe and tries to reach for it, but he isn't tall enough. He makes a grunt and jumps, nearly knocking the cake on the floor. Kankuro grabs the box and hands it to him. Gaara opens the lid quickly. He looks at the round red cherry and smiles contently to himself. Kankuro gives him a plastic fork, and he digs into his treat immediately.

"How is it? Is it good?" Kankuro asks after he paid for the dessert.

"Chocolate truffle cake," Gaara says. He sticks the fork deep in his mouth before he slides it back out to dig in for another bite. "I like my chocolate truffle cake."

"Yeah, I know…" A soft smile creeps up Kankuro's face as he watches his younger brother eats.

"You don't you could've told me before you disappeared?" Temari scolds, throwing her hand up in the air.

Gaara walks outside of the restaurant, holding his cake with one hand and eating it with the fork with his other.

"You were the one who left without us," Kankuro says.

"I was waiting outside. How's that 'leaving' you?"

"You don't think _you_ could've checked before you walk out?" Kankuro mimics his sister's voice.

"You… You know what… Forget it…"

Temari decides she doesn't want to argue with Kankuro; neither one of them ever wins. The siblings step out of the restaurant just as a large tour bus pulls up to the curb and unloads its hoard of passengers. A group of excited kids run out of the bus and bumps into Temari. She takes a deep breath to suppress her urge to yell at the unruly kids. She snaps Kankuro an angry look when she catches him flirting with one of the female tourists. Temari sneaks around the bus and stands on the sidewalk. She scans the streets.

"Where is Gaara?" she asks, more to herself.

"So where are you from? That's an awesome color on you by the way." Kankuro flashes a grin at the girl. She giggles and hides her smile behind her hand.

"Kankuro!" Temari barks.

"I-I gotta run… Hope to see you around." Kankuro jogs over to Temari by the sidewalk. He groans, "What?"

"He's gone," Temari shouts. "Gaara's gone! He's going to get lost!"

"Gaara never gets lost. He has, like, a homing system in his brain." Kankuro checks the street for any sign of his redhead brother. He skips across to the other side. He gestures for Temari to follow him. "He's probably heading back to the hotel."

"God, I hope you're right." Temari checks the traffic before she runs after Kankuro and hurries back to the hotel.

Gaara picks the fresh cherry by the stem and pops it into his mouth. He plucks the stem off once he has secured the sweet fruit in his mouth. He puts the stem into the box and closes the lid. He locates a trashcan and walks up to it. Some of the trash has spilled onto the floor. A strong stench encircles the metal bin. Gaara looks for a gap to put his empty box. He studies the intricate shapes the trash has made and finds a spot to slip his small box between a persona pizza box and a fold-up magazine. Once he has thrown away his trash, Gaara looks up and looks around him. It doesn't take him long to recognize where he is and finds his way to his hotel.

He takes a left at the block. The hotel and resort district greets him with high-class reflective windows and impressive architectures. The streets are cramped with cabs, tour buses, and mini-vans. Gaara walks to the zebra print crosswalk. The crosswalk signal shows a red palm. The palm switches to a red 'Don't Walk' for a few seconds then switches back to the palm.

"Don't walk," Gaara mutters.

The palm changes to a hunching green man. Gaara follows the crowd around him and steps down on the road. He walks with his eyes on the ground. He takes his time, only stepping on the white stripes. Since the stripes are spaced apart, Gaara has to stretch his legs and almost leaps to the next stripe. He stops half-way through when he notices that the next stripe isn't spaced the same as the other ones. It is a little further away from the stripe he is on. He frowns and grips his hair. He lets out a low whine, hesitant to step on the next stripe. He turns around and leaps back to the previous stripe. He turns once again and walks on the stripe he was on. He grips his hair harder once he sees that the next stripe hasn't magically moved to its proper place.

The hunching green man flashes rapidly. In a few seconds, it morphs back into the red palm. The traffic light switches to green for the cars. A mini-van honks loudly at him. Gaara isn't even bothered by the loudness. The driver sticks his head out of the car window.

"Ey, kid! Move," he shouts with a Southern accent.

Gaara looks over at the beat-up van. He doesn't care for it. He looks back at the next stripe and hugs himself tightly, trying to brave his heart to leap on it. He tugs at his shirt collar and pulls it up over his mouth and nose.

"Move!" the driver slams on his honk. The cars behind him join in on the honking. A few pedestrians look their way. No one stops to actually help Gaara. "You wants to die?"

Gaara lets his shirt down. He pulls at his hair with both hands and whimpers softly, "Don't kill Gaara."

The driver opens his car door. He stomps over to Gaara with his hands charged on his waist. Gaara fidgets and switches his weight between his feet.

"What's yours problem, huh?"

"Don't kill Gaara…" Gaara clasps his hands over his ears. He crouches into a ball, burying his head between his knees. He shakes his head rapidly. "Don't kill Gaara!"

"You one of them retards or somethin'?"

The driver grabs Gaara up by his shirt collar and shoves him to the sidewalk. Gaara breaks out of his ball and throws a hard punch at the driver's chest. The man stumbles back, holding his sore chest. Gaara keeps his head low. He stomps his feet with tight fists.

"Don't touch Gaara," he growls.

"You little shit. I'ma give you a beating." He jogs up to Gaara, who doesn't move an inch. He brings his fist up and is ready to give Gaara a new bruise.

"Woah, woah, what's going on here?" a vigilant man comes over and stops the angry driver from hitting Gaara. "He's just a kid, man."

"It ain't none of your damn business!" the driver barks.

"You really want to hit a little boy?" the man questions. He takes his stand between Gaara and the driver.

"Yew got lucky," the driver hacks a spit at Gaara, merely missing him by a few centimeters. He gets back into his van. As he drives off, he gives Gaara and the man his middle-finger.

"Are you okay? Where are your parents?" the man asks.

Gaara is relieved that he doesn't have to cross the street anymore. He dusts his pants and straightens out his shirt.

"Do you want me to take you to the police station?"

Gaara doesn't answer the kind man. He observes the faint dust stain on the hem of his shirt. He keeps patting at it, hoping it will go away.

"Do you… need help?" The man kneels down in front of Gaara. He puts his hand on his shoulder. "Are you hurt?"

Gaara growls and jerks his body when the man touches him. The man lets go and stands up, taking a step back. Gaara keeps his eyes on the floor and dodges out of the man's way. The man watches him until Gaara reaches the hotel door. He sighs and gives his neck a good rub. He shrugs and goes on with his day.

The hotel doorman opens the door for Gaara. He eyes the doorman's feet. He walks away from him and heads to the door without the doorman. He opens it for himself and walks into the fancy lobby. He makes his way toward the elevators. When the elevator comes, Gaara waits until everyone gets out before he gets in. He stands in the middle of the lift even as a group of teenagers follow him in. They fit themselves around Gaara, whispering words to each other. The elevator ascends with ambient music. Gaara recognizes the wordless song and starts humming along.

"Oh damn!"

"Shut up, it's cute."

"How does he even know the song?"

"It's all the same fucking song everywhere."

The elevator arrives at the sixth floor. Gaara waits for the doors to open completely before he walks out. He heads down the left hallway. He finds his way to the room. He pushes down on the door lever; it doesn't budge. The door won't open without the keycard. He pushes down on the lever again and gets the same result. Gaara grips his shirt. He looks around him and whines sadly. He checks the door frame for the doorbell. There isn't one. He looks behind him and tries to find his siblings. He whimpers when he can't see them anywhere. He turns back to the door and bangs on it.

"Let me in." He stops and waits for a response. When no one answers, he wails, "Kankuro! Let me in!"

A housekeeper wheels the laundry cart by down the hall. She sees Gaara in distress and comes over.

"Kankuro!" Gaara shrieks. He starts to bang with both hands. "Let me in!"

"What's the matter, honey? Did you get locked out?" The housekeeper takes out her all-access card. She unlocks the door and holds it open for Gaara. "Here you go, sweetheart. Don't cry now."

Gaara walks in without looking at the housekeeper. He pushes his weight on the heavy door until it clicks. He hooks the door chain to lock the door. He walks into the bathroom. He unbuttons his shirt and puts it to the bottom of the hamper that Temari has brought with them. He hops over to the sink and washes his hands with soaps. Once his hands are clean, he walks back into the room and opens the drawer beneath the television. His clothes are in the second drawer and are put in different stacks. None of the stack touches the other stacks. He chooses a new shirt to wear. He buttons up his shirt just in time to hear the door opening. The chain prevents it from opening all the way.

"Gaara? It's us," Temari says, knocking on the door. "Open up."

Gaara stalks over to the door. He looks at his sister through the gap. She smiles a little at him. He stares back at her, unmoving. Kankuro pushes Temari out of the way, and Gaara loosens up a little.

"Trying to lock us out, huh?" Kankuro snickers. "Open the door."

Gaara moves away and unhooks the chain.

"Thanks, bro." Kankuro pushes open the door, letting Temari in first. He notices Gaara wearing a different top and asks casually, "Why did you change?"

Gaara doesn't answer. He steps back to the wall and leans against it.

"I'm going to take a shower. It's so humid here." Temari takes out a change of clothes. She walks into the bathroom and locks the door.

Kankuro kicks off his shoes and jumps on the small couch, which is also his bed since Gaara doesn't like to share a bed and neither does Temari. He fluffs his pillow and heaves a content sigh. He reaches for the television remote and flips through the channel until he settles down to watch an action movie. Gaara spends a few minutes staring at the floor by the door. He doesn't like the water stain and walks away from it. He goes to the bathroom and tries to open the door.

"You gotta wait. Temari is in there."

Gaara stops trying to open the door. He turns around and looks at Kankuro watching television. He walks over and kneels down in front of the couch. He presses his forehead on Kankuro's chest. Kankuro ruffles his little brother's hair and keeps a hand on his back.

"I want to go swimming."

"Yeah?"

"I want to go swimming now."

"Right now?"

"Right now."

"Sounds good. I can go surfing then."

"Sounds good," Gaara repeats with a smile.

"Hey, that's what I like to see." Kankuro pinches Gaara's cheek, which makes the younger brother smile wider. "There's the smile."

"We are going swimming now."

"You wanna get some gelato on the way?"

"Yes." Gaara nods, drumming his head on Kankuro's chest.

"They got all kinds of flavors."

"Chocolate."

"Alright, we'll get you some chocolate gelato."

"We'll get me some chocolate gelato," Gaara grins, nuzzling his face into Kankuro's chest.

"Watch the movie with me." Kankuro points at the screen.

Gaara turns his head to see but isn't interested. He keeps his head on Kankuro's chest and stares at the oak-colored drawers instead of the screen.

Temari comes out of the bathroom with a towel to dry her hair twenty minutes later. She looks at her brothers in close proximity and a jealous pang hits her chest. Gaara is rarely ever intimate with her. Maybe he feels more comfortable with someone of the same gender.

"Hey, we're going swimming."

"Now?"

"Yeah now. Gaara wants to go."

Temari looks at Gaara, whose face is still on Kankuro's chest. She wraps the towel around her head. She sits on the edge of her bed and reaches for her bottle of lotion on the bed stand.

"Are you just saying that because _you_ want to go surfing?"

"No, he's the one who said it."

"Really?" Temari teases.

"He's right here. You wanna ask him?"

Temari ignores Kankuro and looks down at her legs. She applies the lotion. Kankuro shifts his attention back to the television.

"He can't go swimming. He doesn't have a pair of swim trunks," Temari says after a while.

"I saw a store selling them three for thirty-five bucks."

"He can't swim."

"I'll teach him."

"It's too dangerous. I don't want him near the water."

Kankuro scoffs. He taps Gaara's head and beams a smile.

"We're going swimming!"

"We're going swimming," Gaara mimics.

"Why don't you ever listen to me?" Temari asks loudly.

"Stop babying him. That's not what he wants." Kankuro sits up, moving Gaara's head off his chest. "You don't even know what Gaara wants."

"I know what's best for him."

"Gaara, you want to go swimming, don't you?" Kankuro looks down at Gaara.

"Go swimming," Gaara mutters.

"We are going whether you like it or not. We'd love for you to join us."

Temari tosses her lotion on the bed. She storms inside the bathroom and slams the door behind her. Kankuro squeezes his nose bridge. He pats Gaara on the shoulder and stands up.

"You ready to go?"

"Go swimming," Gaara mumbles. He walks to the door and opens it.

"Hey, wait up!"

Kankuro takes Gaara to a swimming supplies store and picks out a pair of trunks with a cartoon character that Gaara likes. Gaara changes into his trunks but keeps his shirt on.

"Looking good, bro."

"Looking good," Gaara echoes, tugging at his first pair of trunks.

"You're going to get lots of chicks like that."

Kankuro leads Gaara down the street and head for the gelato shop. Kankuro holds the door open for him. Gaara snakes his way up to the freezer immediately and examines his selection of choices even though he has already set his mind on chocolate. Kankuro stands next to him and narrows his eyes at the foreign names.

"What's a 'fragola'?"

"Fragola is strawberry," Gaara answers. He looks from left to right at the various flavors. "Fragola is strawberry."

"Since when did you learn to speak French?"

"Fragola is Italian." Gaara points at the chocolate brown gelato. "Cioccolato."

"I'm going to guess that's chocolate. That's the one you want, right?"

"Cioccolato."

Kankuro waits in line. He keeps his eyes on Gaara, who is just staring the glass case. Gaara mouths the foreign words silently to himself. When his turn comes, Kankuro calls Gaara over. The younger brother pries away from the case and stands next to the older one.

"Here you go." The server hands one of the cones to Gaara, who doesn't want to take it. Kankuro looks up at the cone and sees that the server is holding it with his bare hand.

"He's a little germophobe," Kankuro says, taking the cone himself. "Can you get a napkin to wrap around it?"

"Sure." The server wraps the next cone with a napkin and scoops the gelato on it. He hands it to Gaara, who takes it eagerly.

"Cioccolato," Gaara mutters. He gives his treat a ginger lick.

Kankuro can tell that Gaara likes it by the look on his face. Gaara eats the gelato greedily. He puts a hand on Gaara's back and ushers him out of the shop. Gaara heads toward the left with his eyes on the ground.

"You're going the wrong way, Gaara." Kankuro nudges his brother by the shoulder and sends him in the right direction toward the beach.

The beach is extremely crowded and every spot seems to be covered with beach towels and ice coolers. Families and friends play Frisbee and volleyball with each other. A few sandcastles stand between groups of people. Loud music blasts from individual stereo.

"Let's go somewhere more quiet."

Kankuro leads Gaaras along the sidewalk. They follow the curve with Kankuro holding Gaara's shoulder so that the younger one doesn't sway off onto the road. Gaara can only concrete on one thing at a time and now he is too busy eating his gelato. The beach stretches on but so do the tourists. They walk four blocks down and the crowd looks to thin out a little. They are getting close to the rocks and less people occupy the space. Gaara stops walking when he finishes his gelato. He has licked out all the sweet, leaving the waffle cone untouched. He looks up around him with a disappointed face.

"I'll trade you." Kankuro gives his half-finished gelato to Gaara.

Gaara gives his waffle cone to his older brother in return. He holds the new cone with both hands and licks the sweet happily, keeping his eyes on the ground again.

"Come this way."

Kankuro guides Gaara toward the water. The waves gently break on the rocks. He takes Gaara toward the sandy part where a smaller crowd resides. A man jogs along the water with his dog. Someone's radio plays a calming New Age song. Kankuro thinks it is a good environment for Gaara to be in. They walk closer toward the water. Kankuro gets distracted by two sunbathing women. He stops Gaara and turns him around.

"Go ahead and walk around. I'll be right here. But don't go too far."

"Don't go too far."

Kankuro pinches Gaara's cheek before he paces toward the tanning women and starts chatting up a storm. Gaara turns away and walks along the water. The chilly water soaks his shoes. He shudders but doesn't walk away from the water. He moves from the crowd and heads toward the jagged rocks. He sticks his tongue out and laps up the chocolate gelato. He licks the last drop out from the waffle cone and licks his lips to savor any remaining taste. He looks up and realizes that he has been walking on the rocks. It doesn't feel uncomfortable and he is afraid to fall. He turns around and walks back toward his brother. He sees him as a small figure in the distance. He looks closer to him and sees a boy sitting on the sand. The boy is a year or two older than Gaara with black hair and wears green swim trunks.

Gaara strolls over and sits down. He keeps his eyes on the sand and how it glistens when it's moist. The teen looks up and shows a brief smile at Gaara. His left eye is bandaged with a square piece of gauze. Gaara lifts up his waffle cone and licks at it. He stops when he acknowledges that there isn't any left.

"There aren't any sharks here," Gaara says suddenly. "There is a net ten miles out that way to stop the sharks from coming in. There aren't any sharks here."

"That is good to know," the black-haired teen says, "I was worried to get into the water."

"I looked it up on the Internet before we left our home. Temari is afraid of sharks."

"I think a lot of people are."

"I'm not afraid of sharks," Gaara says bravely. He moves his eyes to the boy's arms. He notices three thin cuts on his inner right forearm. The cuts are of equal length and thickness.

"That is very brave of you," the teen smiles.

"Kankuro says sharks are stupid. They aren't stupid. They are very smart and strategic hunters. They possess powerful problem-solving skills."

"They are fascinating creatures."

"You can call me Gaara."

"I am Lee." He extends his hand over. Gaara turns his head away, almost in a shy manner.

"Lee," Gaara repeats to himself. "Lee."

Gaara lifts up his waffle cone and hands it over to Lee without looking at him.

"You can eat my waffle cone," Gaara mutters to the sand.

"Oh, thank you, but…"

"It's my waffle cone." Gaara tilts his head and looks at the rocks. "You can eat my waffle cone."

Lee watches Gaara's behavior. He smiles brightly, even though Gaara isn't looking at him, and takes the cone.

"Thank you. That is very nice of you."

"That is very nice of me."


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm supposed to go swimming now."

Lee looks away from the crashing waves and looks over at his red-haired companion. Gaara tugs at his shirt, turning his head at odd directions.

"I'm supposed to go swimming now," Gaara repeats.

He stands up and dusts the sand off his trunks. He walks toward the water. Lee quickly shoves the remaining half of the waffle cone into his mouth and gets up as well.

"We should go over there where the current is not as strong."

Gaara ignores the suggestion. He takes a few steps into the water. He shudders at the cold temperature. Lee follows close behind, keeping an eye out. He can tell that Gaara is a little different from other boys and that he shouldn't be left alone. He runs in front of Gaara, blocking the way.

"Follow me this way." Lee waves at Gaara with a soft grin.

Gaara tilts his head at Lee's knees. Lee backs away slowly and heads toward the small crowd that resides by the calmer portion of the beach.

"This way," Lee says, keeping a steady pace toward the crowd.

Gaara follows obediently. He drags his feet above the muddy sand. Water has soaked through his shoes and drenched his socks. It is getting uncomfortable for him. Gaara stops walking and makes a loud sharp whine.

"What is the matter?" Lee asks. He walks over to Gaara and bends his knees since he is about three inches taller than the redhead.

Gaara thrusts his arms and almost hits Lee. He pulls his hair and twists his body to the left. He looks around anxiously. A wave comes and splashes water on his body, wetting his shirt. Lee keeps a calm and steady grin on his face even though he is shaken and doesn't know what to do exactly. He stands up straight and watches Gaara meticulously combing his hair.

"Everything is fine," Lee says softly. "You should take off your shirt and your shoes so they do not get in the way."

Gaara tugs at his shirt. He reaches for his buttons and starts to undo them. He keeps his eyes on his fingers working down his shirt. Once he has all the buttons, he takes off his shirt. He puts it down on the sand bed and folds it underwater. Lee stifles a chuckle. Gaara leaves the folded shirt in the water and sits down. A wave rushes over and splashes his face with water. He is unwary even though the water level reaches to his elbows. He works at untying his shoes. Lee bends down and takes the shirt out of the water. He holds it and waits for Gaara to get out of his shoes.

"I will take them for you."

Gaara rolls up his socks and puts a ball into each shoe. He picks up his shoes and stands up. Goosebumps mark at his exposed skin. He scans the sand bed, holding one shoe with each hand. Lee puts the wet shirt under his arm and reaches for the shoes. Gaara doesn't resist in handing them over.

"Yosh! Now follow me."

Lee treads through the water, holding Gaara's clothes. He walks sideway so he can see Gaara following behind him. Gaara keeps his head down, staring at the glistening water and how it interplays with the sand. He looks intrigued and mesmerized by the white bubbles that stay behind after the water leaves. Lee guides him back near Kankuro. He walks up to the shore and puts Gaara's clothes on the sand. Gaara stays standing in the water.

"Do you know how to swim?" Lee asks, rejoining Gaara.

"I'm going swimming now."

Lee frowns as he watches Gaara stalks deeper into the water. Gaara shudders again when the water splashes at his chest. He pauses and looks nervously around him. Lee takes the hint and quickly stands next to the redhead. Since he is taller, the water only reaches Lee's abdomen.

"Are you sure you know to swim, Gaara?" Lee furrows his brows with concern.

Gaara ignores the taller teen. He pushes forward, fighting against the current that tries to push him back. Lee tracks his move, making sure that Gaara will be fine. Gaara launches forward on his stomach when the water hits his shoulders. He kicks his arms and legs, imitating the swimmers he has seen on television. His arms and legs, however, move out of sync and don't work together to keep him afloat. Lee watches and follows by pushing himself up on his tip-toes. Gaara pops his head out of the water. Before he has a chance to take a breath, he sinks into the ocean. It doesn't take Lee much time to realize that the younger boy is drowning.

"Gaara!"

Lee hurries over to Gaara, who is drawn away by the current. He grabs the redhead by his shoulders and helps him keep his head above water. Gaara coughs and spits out salty water. He rubs his eyes and takes a quick look at his surroundings.

"You are alright," Lee says, trying to comfort the smaller boy. He wraps an arm around Gaara's waist and tries to lead him back to the shore.

Instead of cooperating, Gaara starts to struggle out of Lee's grip. He elbows Lee in the nose. Despite the hit to his face, Lee doesn't let go knowing that if he did, Gaara will surely submerge again.

"Don't touch Gaara!"

"Please calm down." Lee makes sure to use a calm and in-control voice. He doesn't want to agitate Gaara any further. "I am sorry for touching you."

Lee swims as fast as he can with Gaara smacking his face and body. Once he feels he is back on safe ground and Gaara can stand on his own, Lee lets go of the frightened boy immediately. Gaara gets on his feet and runs toward Kankuro, who has seen what happened and is sprinting over. Kankuro catches Gaara in his arms. He lifts his younger brother off the ground and hugs him tightly. Gaara wails, burying his face in Kankuro's shoulder, slobbering it with snot and tears.

"It's cool," Kankuro shushes, patting Gaara's back. "You're a big boy. Shhh… It's cool. Don't cry. Everything's cool."

"I-I am sorry… I thought he knew how to swim…" Lee bows his head, showing his deepest apology.

"Yeah, don't worry about it…" Kankuro eases Gaara down. He checks to make sure that his little brother isn't hurt before he turns to Lee. "He's just freaked out 'cause you touched him."

"Ah… I figure…" Lee eyes Gaara with remorse. He looks up at Kankuro and says, "But I really am very sorry about what happened… If there is anything you want me to do, please say so!"

"You can go get me his clothes."

"R-Right… Please wait!"

Lee hurries back to pick up Gaara's shirt and shoes on the sand. Kankuro ruffles Gaara's drenched hair, knowing that it usually does the trick to calm his brother down. It doesn't work this time however. Gaara fidgets nervously and starts to pace left and right. He interlaces his fingers and pushes his hands against his chin. His mouth moves and he mutters words quietly.

"Dammit," Kankuro curses under his breath.

"Here you go." Lee returns and hands the clothes over. "Is there anything else you want me to do?"

"No, no, we gotta run." Kankuro turns to Gaara. "C'mon, let's go."

Gaara doesn't move from his spot. He keeps pacing left and right; going left five steps and going back right five steps. He spins when he reaches the end of his perimeter. He keeps his head low, his hands on his chin, and his mouth moves whispering words.

"Is he… hurt? It is my fault…" Lee drops his head. "I am truly, truly sorry!"

"He's just really upset." Kankuro looks over at Gaara and sighs. "He does this thing where he starts to sing cartoon theme songs… But he'll be fine in a bit."

"_Fighting crime, trying to save the world_," Gaara sings quietly. He spins and walks to his left. "_Here they come just in time_…"

"Bro, you ready to go?"

"… _commander and the leader_…"

Gaara slows down his pacing. He stops singing audibly but his mouth still moves. He brings his head a little higher, keeping his eyes on the ground. He doesn't turn around when he reaches his five-step perimeter. He keeps walking and goes away toward the street.

"He's good," Kankuro says.

"I really am s-"

"Yeah, you're sorry, I got it. It's cool, man."

"Please tell him that I am sorry."

Kankuro rolls his eyes in amused frustration. He carries Gaara's clothes and chases after his brother. Lee watches them go and heaves a disappointed sigh at himself. He waits until he sees them standing at the sidewalk before he leaves the beach, feeling a horrible pang in his chest.

Kankuro puts a hand on Gaara's shoulder and stops him from crossing the street as a line of cars speed past. The sun is starting to set. Colorful lights from the stores bring out the night scene. Gaara has stopped singing all-together; his body language, however, tells Kankuro that he's still upset.

"Temari's going to kill me…"

Kankuro finds a note by the telephone. He picks it up and reads the two words that explain so much with so little.

"_Gone shopping_." He scoffs. "Why am I not surprised?"

He crumbles the note and tosses it in the trashcan. It misses and tumbles next to Gaara's feet. He has managed to make Gaara put his shoes back on even though it is soaking wet. He goes over and helps Gaara out of them again. He takes the socks, the shirt, and the shoes into the bathroom and hopes to blow dry them. Before he does, he opens the suitcase and takes out a Tupperware box filled with red Lego bricks. He gives the box to Gaara, who takes it with eager excitement. Gaara carries to the box to the coffee table and pushes everything out of the way. He pops open the lid and starts to take out th brick one by one, putting them in a straight line across the table. Kankuro watches for a moment until he is sure that Gaara is completely taken in by the toy bricks. He walks into the bathroom and starts working on drying the clothes.

Gaara finishes setting down the base line. He attaches a square piece onto two of the bottom pieces to make a triangle. He builds the second layer for his flat pyramid and moves on to the third layer. The Tupperware box isn't big enough to carry all the blocks he has at home; besides, there is simply too many of them. Gaara likes the challenge of building a flat pyramid; it's hard to make sure it doesn't fall.

Kankuro dries the socks and puts them on the towel rack. He squeezes the water out from Gaara's shirt and starts to blow dry it. Temari is going to want to know why his clothes are wet and Kankuro needs to come up with an excuse. He'll tell her that the waves came and took them away. Temari will probably scold him for leaving the clothes too close to the water. There is no pleasing his older sister.

Gaara is on his fifth layer when he stops abruptly. He stands up and looks about for the television remote. He finds it on the couch and uses it to turn on the television. He changes the channel to '04'. An old cowboy movie is playing. He looks down at the remote and presses '04' again. The screen flashes back to the same movie.

"It's five o'clock," Gaara whines. He presses his channel a third time. The cowboy is cooing his horse. He whimpers nervously, "It's five o'clock. It's five o'clock."

Gaara throws the remote. It hits the drawers with a loud thud. He thrashes his arms and kicks his legs, throwing a full-on tantrum. He screams loudly at the television screen. He drops on his knees and covers his face with his palms. He cries excessively and non-stop.

Kankuro turns off the blow dryer and hangs the shirt on the towel rack. He drops what he is doing when he hears Gaara's anguish crying. He hurries out to the room and finds Gaara sobbing.

"What's up?"

"It's five-o-two," Gaara hiccups. "It's five-o-three now."

Kankuro looks at the radio clock on the bed stand. He picks up the remote quickly and tries to change the channel. Seeing that it is already on channel 4, he flips to the next channel. It is time for Gaara's cartoon and he never misses it even though he has seen every episode at least five times. Kankuro breathes out of his mouth while Gaara keeps sobbing loudly. Since they are in a different area, Kankuro isn't sure how different the channels are. He is also worried that the channels here have different showing time. He isn't sure how to explain to Gaara why he has to miss his show.

"H-here we go. I found it," Kankuro says with a sigh of relief when the talking yellow sponge shows up on the screen. He keeps in mind that it's on channel 12.

Gaara ceases his sobbing right on cue. He sits cross-legged and stares at the screen in a trance. He mouths the dialogue quietly, telling Kankuro that he has seen this episode before as well. Kankuro doesn't see the appealing in a square-pant-wearing sponge and his pink starfish companion. He puts down the remote next to Gaara and ruffles the damp red hair. He grunts and mentally slaps himself for not telling Gaara to take a shower. If Temari comes back to find Gaara smelling like salt water, she is not going to be pleasant. But he can't tell him to go now. Nothing can break Gaara away from his cartoon.

Kankuro goes back to the bathroom. He comes out with the still-wet pair of shoes and a clean towel. He tosses the shoes by the door; they have packed an extra pair of shoes for Gaara just in case. He sits behind his brother and starts to dry his hair. He isn't going to get caught neglecting Gaara though he does blame himself. He should've kept an eye out for him. If that one-eyed boy weren't there, Gaara would be a goner and he would have to explain to Temari why he let his brother drown. He holds in a sigh, running his fingers to get the moisture out from underneath. Gaara is only twelve and it makes sense that he needs extra care. But what about when he is fifteen, eighteen, twenty-one, or thirty-one? Is he still going to need someone to hold his hands? Is he going to throw a tantrum if he doesn't get to see his cartoons when he is fifty?

Kankuro pushes his forehead on Gaara's sticky back. He inhales the scent of the ocean. He sits up straight and takes a breath. It doesn't matter really what the answers are. He is going to take care of Gaara no matter what. He pats Gaara and stands up. He throws the towel back into the bathroom. He sits on the floor and watches the cartoon side-by-side with Gaara. That yellow sponge actually makes him chuckle a few times, and Gaara seems to be having a really good time.

Once the cartoon is over, Kankuro tells Gaara to take a shower. Gaara obeys and takes out his pajama from his drawer. The brothers walk into the bathroom together. Kankuro shows Gaara how to work the tap since it's different from the tap at home.

"Remember to wash your hair. Here's your shampoo."

"Wash my hair." Gaara nods. He yanks off his trunks and folds it in half. He is about to put it in the hamper.

"Hang on, you gotta wash that too."

Gaara looks at the bathroom floor with a confused frown. He has never had to wash his clothes himself before. Kankuro reaches out his hand and takes the heavy trunks.

"Here, I'll take care of it. Get in."

Gaara steps into the bathtub. He stands under the shower head, cleaning him with purified warm water. He looks at the shower curtain and doesn't know what to do with it. They have shower doors at home. Kankuro demonstrates how to draw the curtain and Gaara looks a little less bothered by the flimsy fabric.

Kankuro steps out of the bathroom to give Gaara some privacy. He flops down on the couch and in a few minutes, Temari comes through the door with two bags of new clothes. He eyes the shopping bags and rolls his eyes.

"Did you take Gaara swimming?"

"Sure did. He loves it," Kankuro lies. "He's a fast learner."

Temari looks over at the bathroom. She puts down the bags on her bed and takes out the new addition to her wardrobe. Kankuro isn't really watching her unpacked but he does notice that some of the clothes are for Gaara. Gaara doesn't have a lot of patience when it comes to shopping for new clothes. It's easier if they just pick and choose for him. Gaara will usually wear whatever they get for him; as long as it doesn't have polka dots and it's a button-down shirt. Something about polka dots just upsets Gaara.

"What are we doing tomorrow?"

"I was thinking of taking Gaara to the museum in downtown."

"Oh man," Kankuro grunts, "can't we do something that isn't educational?"

"You know he likes going to museums."

"He also likes chocolate but I don't see you taking him to a chocolate factory."

"You took him swimming against my wish, and now I get to do something against your wish."

"This isn't a competition."

"I never said it is."

"Are you going to come with us tomorrow?"

"Hey," Kankuro sits up, "let's go the theme parks. I want to go on that really kick-ass rollercoaster… what it's called again…"

"No," Temari says coldly. She folds the paper bags up. "You know he is afraid of heights."

"He'll go on the kid rides. He likes that submarine thing with all the fish. I'm sure they got that one here too."

Temari heaves a loud sigh. She throws out the bags in the small trash bin. She walks past the door and sees Gaara's soaked shoes. She looks at Kankuro and shakes her head, gesturing that she doesn't even want to know.

"We can go to the theme park the day after tomorrow," Temari says. She picks up the remote off the floor and puts it back on the coffee table, being careful not to knock down Gaara's pyramid. "We still have three days left. We can take it slow."

"We gotta take him to the water park too. He'll love it."

"He can't swim!"

"So what? He'll learn."

Temari hooks her hand on her waist. She huffs and points at Kankuro with an accusing finger.

"You didn't teach him to swim."

"I… Yeah… but he swam…" Kankuro stammers.

"He could've drowned! I told you not to take him swimming! Why can't you ever listen to me?"

Kankuro decides it's a good idea not to tell Temari that Gaara almost _did_ drown.

"Look, he's fine. Nothing happened so calm your ass down."

"I can't leave him with you," Temari grunts through clenched teeth. "You're so irresponsible."

"You're the one who ditched us and went shopping."

The bathroom opens. Hot stream rushes into the room. They stop arguing when Gaara walks out in his matching pajama.

"What's that on his face?" Temari asks, walking over to Gaara.

Gaara has folded a square of toilet paper in half and put it over his left eye. He walks forward and the toilet paper falls off, unfurling as it does. Gaara bends down to pick up the paper. He folds it up again and presses it against his eye. He lets go and the toilet paper falls again. As he is bending down to pick it up again, Temari snatches the square away.

"Don't put toilet paper on your face. It's gross."

Gaara gnaws his lips and walks away from Temari. He walks over to the coffee table and kneels in front it. He starts to work on his pyramid again. Kankuro ruffles his hair with a grin.

"Hey, hey, we gotta blow-dry your hair first."

"Blow-dry my hair first," Gaara echoes.

He stops playing with the blocks and stands up. Kankuro leads him back into the bathroom and sits him down in front of the counter. He takes the dryer and works on Gaara's hair, styling it with his fingers. Gaara doesn't like the roaring of the blow-dryer but tolerates it if there is someone with him. He keeps his eyes on the corner of the mirror and starts to count down from a hundred to pass the time.

Once he's done counting and Kankuro still isn't done with his hair, Gaara reaches over and grabs a tissue out from the tissue box. He folds it into a square and presses it against his left eye. It unfurls quickly and glides to the countertop. Kankuro watches the behavior with a frown. Gaara tries it again but he can't make the tissue stay in a square and over his eye. Kankuro blinks, turning the blow-dryer to the low setting.

"You trying to be a pirate?"

"I'm not a pirate," Gaara mutters, his voice nearly drowned out by the blow-dryer. He slams the tissue on his eye. It doesn't stick.

"Oh… Oh… I know…" Kankuro turns the blow-dryer off completely. "It's that guy you met… He's only got one eye."

"Lee."

"That's his name?" Kankuro ruffles Gaara's half-dried hair. "You like this Lee guy, don't cha?"

"Lee," Gaara mumbles. He tries to stick the makeshift eye-patch on his face again.

Kankuro doesn't stop his little brother. He actually finds it kind of adorable what he is doing. He has never known Gaara to remotely like a stranger. He pinches Gaara's cheek and it manages to make the eye patch stays for a split second before it flies down to the sink. In the short second that it did stay, Gaara beams a happy grin.

"No green onion on his and set the pork on a separate plate, please. Thank you."

Temari hands over the menu to the ramen shop server. Normally, Temari would have insisted on eating somewhere more high-class since they're away from home. Kankuro points out that they have never eaten at a real Japanese ramen restaurant before and should try it. The restaurant is small and crowded and they had to wait thirty minutes before they are seated by the entrance where every time someone opens the door, a gust of sea breeze invades. Temari shivers, regretting not bringing a jacket to accommodate the oceanside weather. She is at least happy that the chef cooks their noodles right in front of them and she can smell the aroma of the soup base.

Gaara is breaking apart his fifth set of wooden chopsticks. The top of the left stick is larger than the right one, and he throws it to the side. The owner watches the wasteful behavior from afar with an annoyed frown. Gaara takes his sixth pair out from the self-serve chopsticks box. He rips open the paper wrap and grips the bottom ends. He pulls and successfully breaks the sticks equally. Everyone around him who has been watching breathes a sigh of relief. Even Gaara is proud of himself.

"So are you excited to go the art museum tomorrow?" Temari asks.

"Who is ever excited about that?"

"I wasn't asking you, Kankuro," the older sister says with a scowl. She turns her head when the door opens to see a teen with a gauze over his eye walks in. The teen gasps and walks out quickly. She looks back at her brothers. "It's showcasing three-dimensional sculptures. It's really amazing."

"Gaara can make amazing things out of Lego too. Why doesn't anyone show his works in museums?"

"They're just toys."

"I've seen stuffs made out of trash sold for millions of dollars. Gaara's stuffs are better. We should be loaded by now."

The chef interrupts the conversation when he puts down two bowls of hot ramen for Temari and Kankuro. He puts down a smaller bowl and a plate of pork for Gaara. Temari thanks the chef and eats her noodle hungrily. Kankuro slurps loudly. Gaara can't eat because he doesn't know how to use the chopsticks. He holds them together and spins the hand-made noodle on it. He lifts the sticks up and opens his mouth. The noodle slips off and splashes in the hot soup. Gaara tilts his head at Kankuro's direction. Kankuro wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and gets someone to bring Gaara a fork. The siblings are about to resume dinner when the door opens and a chill hits Temari. She sighs angrily and tries to eat.

"H-Hello," someone behind them says. "I-I am sorry to interrupt your dinner."

Temari and Kankuro turn around. Gaara doesn't and concentrates on eating his ramen. Kankuro puts down his chopsticks in his bowl.

"Oh hey, it's you."

"I-I am sorry for disturbing you," Lee stutters. "But I… I wanted to give this to Gaara."

Lee holds out a clear plastic cup with two scoops of chocolate gelato drizzled with chocolate syrup. A little pink spoon sticks in the top scoop. Temari turns around completely and eyes Lee and the sweet with suspicion.

"Who are you?" she asks rudely.

"I-I… am..."

"He's cool," Kankuro barges in. He taps Gaara on the shoulder. "Hey, look who's here."

Gaara doesn't turn around. He eats his ramen with full concentration. He forks his pork and chews the cooked meat.

"He's a little busy right now, but I'm sure he appreciates it."

Kankuro takes the cup from Lee and puts it on the table in front of Gaara. Gaara doesn't even look it; his eyes are kept on his bowl.

"I am sorry for what I did," Lee says, lowering his head.

"What did you do?" Temari asks with a raised eyebrow.

"I—"

"Nothing," Kankuro interrupts again. He narrows his eyes, trying to get Lee to take the hint. "You didn't do anything…"

"I do not think he enjoys waffle… so I got him one without it," the black-haired teen explains.

"Thanks dude."

"I hope I have not ruined your meals." Lee bows quickly. "Please enjoy it."

Lee hurries out of the ramen restaurant. Temari looks at Kankuro, waiting for an explanation. Kankuro avoids her mean glance and turns back to his dinner.

"What was that all about? Who is that guy? Why did he buy Gaara ice-cream?"

"Can't someone be nice to Gaara for once?"

"I don't know who that is. I don't know what he wants," Temari says with paranoia. "He can kidnap Gaara."

"Why would anyone want to kidnap Gaara?"

"I don't know!" She looks at the gelato. "Don't let him eat that."

She reaches for it but Kankuro gets to it first. He puts it on his side, out of Temari's reach.

"I'm sure he didn't poison the gelato. He's good person or else he couldn't have apologized ten times."

"Apologize for what? What happened? What aren't you telling me?"

"Shut up and eat. Your food is getting cold."

"This isn't over."

Temari huffs and eats angrily. Her mood affects her appetite. The delicious noodle tastes dull to her tongue. Gaara and Kankuro, on the other hand, are enjoying the meal to its fullest. Since he has the smaller bowl and he isn't interrupted, Gaara finishes before his siblings. Kankuro pushes the melting gelato over to him. Gaara looks at it with surprise, not knowing how it got there. But he doesn't care. He takes the plastic spoon and eats the gelato happily.

"Cioccolato," Gaara mutters.

"It's from Lee."

"Cioccolato from Lee." Gaara sucks on his spoon. He grins widely. "Cioccolato from Lee."

Temari stops eating and stares at her grinning brother. She looks over at Kankuro, who is also grinning. She looks down at her bowl with utmost confusion. All appetite has been lost.

"I like cioccolato from Lee," Gaara says, scooping his gelato. "I like Lee."


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you sure you don't want to come?"

"No, thank you," Kankuro scoffs, "I rather shoot myself than go to a museum."

"What are you going to do then… besides shooting yourself?"

"I think I might actually go down to the beach and learn how to surf."

"May the waves carry you far, far away," Temari says.

Temari picks her purse and checks to make sure that she has everything she needs. She slings it over her shoulder and walks to the door. Gaara stalks behind, dragging his feet like a zombie. His head hangs low. His eyes gaze at the lint on the carpet. Temari opens the door and the younger one exits the room. Kankuro waves a small good-bye as he watches them leave. He returns to the room to change into his beachwear, which consists of him taking off his large sleeping t-shirt and putting on his board shorts. He grabs the room key and his headphone, puts on his sandals, and heads down to the beach.

The humidity hits him the moment he steps out of the air-conditioned hotel lobby. The sun casts a golden glow on all corners of the beach city. It is truly a different noon than the one back in his desert town. Maybe he can convince Temari to permanently move to the beach. Gaara seems to like the ocean and Temari can find herself a nice prey to chow on. She'll probably criticize his wishful thinking for not realizing how expensive it is to live in a beach city. It's easier said than done to uproot, especially with Gaara involved. He'll have to enroll in a new school and there is no telling how well he'll function in the new environment. Gaara doesn't mind going to new places, but he doesn't like meeting new people. He's doing alright in his special needs class and he seems to like his teacher. At least that's what Kankuro thinks.

He strolls down toward the welcoming beach. It is actually his second time going to a beach. The nearest beach at home is fifty miles away and he doesn't have the patience to drive all the way down and all the way back just to go to the beach. There isn't much he likes to do at the beach anyway, asides from checking out the beautiful scantily-clad ladies. The women here, though, are a different class from those back home. He hasn't seen a fat flap since he stepped foot out of the hotel. But as with everything, there is a down side. There happens to be quite a large number of senior citizens living here, and a quite large number of said citizens like to hang out at the beach. Not that he has anything against old people, but Kankuro just doesn't like looking at wrinkled and age-spotted skin, especially when he's on vacation. He stops, reminding himself that he isn't supposed to call it a 'vacation' even if they're doing everything people on vacations do. Sometimes, he just doesn't understand what goes on in his sister's head.

Kankuro heads toward the water just in time to see a trio of boys, about his age, ready to rise against the waves. They paddle into the middle of the ocean with their surfboards. They float like dots from Kankuro's line of sight. A high wave rushes toward the boys. They lean on their boards and go along with the waves. One of them, brown-haired with a toned body, hop on his board and rises to the top of the wave. He lands gracefully near the shore. Kankuro can't help but feels a little self-conscious at his own body. He can stand to lose a few pounds and work out a little harder. There is no definition in his abdomen. Maybe that's why he hasn't managed to score. He suddenly feels exposed and wishes he has taken a shirt with him to throw over his upper body. He also realizes that he is about half a shade whiter than everyone around him. He needs some suntan lotion bad.

He walks to the brown-haired surfer with a casual grin. The surfer wears a smug look, and Kankuro wonders why he has a red stripe on each cheek. Maybe there is a face-painting booth he doesn't know about. Not that he is into face-painting; he is just curious.

"That was pretty sick," Kankuro says. He awkwardly leaves his hands on his shorts when he realizes that his pants don't have pockets.

"Nah," the surfer responds with a confident grin, "you haven't seen nothing!"

"Yeah? Kankuro raises an eyebrow, pulling the corner of his mouth up. What is up with the conceited bastard? But he has to admit that he is one hell of a surfer. "You mind showing me some moves?"

It is now the brown-haired teen's turn to raise his wet brows. He looks Knakuro up and down, and Kankuro regrets his choosing of words. He really shouldn't have made it sound like a come-on.

"Sure," he says and Kankuro can tell that he only agrees because he thinks it's a chance for him to show-off. "You got a board, dude?"

"No… I guess I'll just watch for now."

"Then watch and learn," the surfer grins, showing off his canine teeth.

The surfer, Kankuro finds out his name is Kiba before he quickly hops back into the ocean, shows Kankuro a few more advanced tricks. Kankuro watches in admiration and excitement. He knows he can pull off something like that if he tries. If he has the time and the patience and the money to learn how to surf from a teacher. He shrugs off the idea of learning to surf fifteen minutes into watching Kiba gliding on the waves. It's a glamorous sport, but it's too laborious for Kankuro's taste. Kiba picks his board up and walks back on land. He jogs to Kankuro's side with the same confident grin.

"What do you think?"

"That was awesome, dude."

"Damn right." Kiba pinches his nose, wiping the salt water out of his face. "You think you up for it?"

"I think I'll pass on it," Kankuro says.

"Meh." Kiba shrugs his board shoulders. "The sea is a harsh babe to tame."

"I bet she is."

There is a brief awkward silence between two strangers who run out of things to say to each other. Kiba shifts his surf board and shuffles his feet. Kankuro studies the board and tries not to laugh at the dog paw design.

"Well, nice meeting ya," Kankuro mutters, giving a small wave.

"Yeah, same."

They give each other a weak smile. Kiba joins up with his friends, heading back to the city. Kankuro shifts his weight and looks at the ocean. Now that he has decided that he isn't going to learn how to surf, he has to come up with something else to pass the time while he waits for his siblings to come back from their boring museum visit. He looks around him, scanning for any potential hook-up materials. He groans when he sees a hairy man walks by. The man has a toned body, but he is in desperate need of a wax. Kankuro tries to keep his mind on the ladies around him but can't shake the gorilla-man out of his head. He gives up and decides to talk a walk instead. He looks down at his hairless chest; he can use some hair to make him feel like a man. He hasn't even started getting facial hair. He can't wait for his first shave. A goatee, he is thinking, may look nice on him. Temari will probably flip.

His walking takes him away from the crowded area of the beach and toward the rocky cliff. He hasn't realized how far he has gone from the main streets; there is many things going through his mind. He still can't figure why Temari has taken them on a pseudo-vacation. Sure, it is Spring Break and they are all out of school, and it would be nice to go somewhere. They could've gone to the local theme park and not flew half-way across the country to get to a tropical beach. If he knows one thing about his sister, it is that Temari doesn't do anything nice for no reason. Somehow, Kankuro feels there is more to the vacation and maybe Temari is right. Maybe this really isn't a vacation at all.

He shakes the sand out from his sandal and looks up from the mess of seaweeds washed up to the shore. The maintenance on this part of the beach is not as well as the other parts. He squints when he sees a distant figure sitting with his legs in the water. He recognizes Lee by his bob haircut; he has never seen a guy with a bob haircut before and thinks that it's a hairstyle reserved exclusively for females. Lee has proven him wrong. He takes his time to walk over to the black-haired acquaintance. The waves run timidly on to the rocks. The water, he notices, is calmer than the day before. He gets close enough to see Lee staring out at the horizon. He frowns at the blank expression on Lee's face; it looks just like the one that Gaara makes sometimes. Lee's one eye gazes longingly out at the azure sky and the corners of his lips drag downward. There is almost a hint of sadness if it isn't for the blankness.

"Hey dude," Kankuro says.

"Ah!" Lee jumps. He looks behind, startled. He doesn't seem to recognize Kankuro initially and stares at the taller one with a cautious look. He softens after a short moment and puts a warm smile on his face. "Hello. It is nice to see you again… Kankuro? I hope I am pronouncing it correctly."

"You got it. And you're Lee, yeah?" Kankuro jumps to a seat next to Lee. "So what are you doing? Just hanging out?"

"I… I like watching the water move. I find it very soothing," Lee says sheepishly. He scratches his cheek and asks, "Is… Gaara with you?"

"No, um, he's with our sister at the museum. He likes that kind of thing." Kankuro kicks off his sandals. "Things that he can look at that don't look back at him."

"Did he… like the ice cream?"

"Oh, yeah, he was nuts about it. Temari on the other hand," Kankuro pauses to explain, "that's our sister, she flipped out and banned gelato forever."

"I am sorry!"

"Yeah… apparently too much Italian sugar is bad for Gaara." He rolls his eyes. He jokes, "She's just jealous she didn't get any."

Lee keeps quiet, bringing his chin down. He stares at his arms in a manner that reminds Kankuro a lot of Gaara. The only difference he can make out is that Lee has a sorrowful aura around him whereas Gaara is deep in thought when he stares at objects. Kankuro will never know what his little brother is thinking or if he even thinks at all. Maybe Gaara just spaces out from time to time, like when a computer goes to sleep after an inactive period of time. Sometimes Gaara will just stare at something for an hour and doesn't move an inch. Kankuro swears Gaara has gone without blinking for three minutes.

"So... you here for spring break?"

"Y-yes," Lee answers a little too quickly. "We come here quite often actually."

"So you live close?"

"No… I live four hours away, up north," the black-haired teen says, not caring to elaborate.

"Cool." Kankuro gives a small nod. "We live near the desert so the beach is, like, a great wonder. The last time I saw sand – ocean sand – was… five, six years ago."

"Why does Gaara hate being touched?" Lee changes the subject. He drops his head and mutters a quick apology. "I am sorry for being so rude."

Kankuro studies the boy next to him. He has never met such a polite person in his life that it is somewhat uncomforting. And Lee's obsession with apologizing is getting on his nerve as well. He looks at the short-sleeve shirt Lee is wearing and sees that there are four thin cuts on his forearm. The fourth one looks newer than the other three. He glances at Lee's bandaged eye and wonders about the story behind it. He really hopes Lee isn't one of those self-mutilating people who get off cutting themselves. He leans back on his hands, burying his fingers into the fine sand.

"Our dad used to beat the shit out of him," Kankuro says.

Lee perks up with a shocked look. He stares at Kankuro with a wide hole in his mouth. He looks completely stunned, like it's the first time he has ever heard a parent abusing a child. He looks like he wants to say something. He stammers at a loss of word. Kankuro brings a sticky sand finger up to scratch under his eye. He doesn't know why he is telling a stranger such personal information. Maybe it's because their dad is gone and it doesn't matter anymore. Maybe it's because the more people who know about it, the better it is for Gaara's sake. Maybe he just feels like being dramatic. He doesn't know, and his mouth is opening up again.

"And I mean, he beat the shit out of him. Every time Gaara did something he didn't like, he would just pound him. It was the worst when Gaara fought back 'cause they would both just lose it and hit each other But, I mean, Gaara was just a little kid and our dad is like six-foot-one. And… " He pauses, scratching his eye again. "Gaara didn't stand a chance."

"That is… so tragic," Lee whispers.

"I remember one time… Gaara wouldn't get off the couch and it just pissed our dad off so bad. He, like, grabbed Gaara by his hair and just threw him on the floor. Then Gaara started throwing a fit and it got even worse. Our dad dragged him into the hallway closet and locked him in…"

Lee gulps. The waves break on the rocks. A flock of seagulls passes swiftly by. Somewhere in the distance, a little kid starts crying and a radio commercial announces a sale for used cars. Kankuro shifts his weight on his arms, bending his elbows. He pushes himself up and bends his back, leaning over his lower body. He stares at his hands, glistening with grains of sand. He should probably stop telling Lee the horrible story now but his mouth keeps moving on its own.

"Then he turned to me and he said, 'don't you dare let him out' and you know what," Kankuro pauses, finally realizing why he keeps scratching under his eyes. A grain of sand has gotten in and it's making his eyes wet. Or at least that's what he'll be telling himself. "I didn't. I just sat on the couch and watched cartoons… even though I could hear him pounding on the door, screaming 'let me out'. But I didn't do shit. Temari got him out when she got home from school and by then it was, like, an hour later."

Lee doesn't make a response. He keeps his eyes on his extended legs. The water is starting to prune his skin.

"Yeah… so…" Kankuro forces a chuckle, "I guess that's why he doesn't like being touched."

"I understand," is all Lee says in reaction.

"I bet you got some crazy family stories too, huh?"

"Y-yes…" Lee nods, putting on a weak smile. "I have some very crazy ones."

Kankuro digs his index finger into the sand and makes squiggly lines on the shore. Lee retracts his legs and hugs his knees to his chest. Kankuro checks the time; Temari and Gaara should be returning from the museum soon. He hopes they are because his stomach is starting to feel empty and he feels some hunger pangs. The continental breakfast at the hotel hardly satisfied him. He turns to Lee and opens his mouth again, spilling another personal part of his family.

"I guess… No… I knew I resented Gaara. I was the token, neglected middle child and I hated him for breaking up the family, you know. I mean, Dad was always pissed off because of him and Mom…" He stops, deciding that his mother should be left out of the story. He continued, "Anyways… I remember wondering why our dad didn't just send him away to a nut house, like they do on TV."

At the mention of 'nut house', Lee jerks a little. His eyebrow twitches as does the corner of his lip. His face returns to a blank state quickly. He drops his chin on his knees and pulls himself deeper into a ball. Kankuro watches the behavior. With his experience with Gaara, he knows a thing or two about body gesture. Lee is telling him that there is something about a mental institution that bothers him. Why does it bother him is the question Kankuro is curious to ask. He shakes the thought out of his mind. Just because he is telling Lee his life story, it doesn't mean that Lee will be doing the same. Lee seems like such a reserved guy anyways.

"Uh, yeah, I hated the little brat," he says, chuckling at the 'brat' part. "But one day… just out of nowhere, I didn't even do anything different, he looked at me. Mind you, Gaara doesn't look at people but when he looked at me, it was, like, he _saw_ me. He acknowledged my existence. And then he said my name. And it wasn't just that… he called me by my name, you know. Before that, I'm pretty sure he used to call me 'it'. And I guess… that's when it finally hit me that Gaara is my brother and I gotta watch out for him and I wanted to be a brother for him."

"Why are you telling me this?" Lee asks with a slight hint of anger.

Kankuro furrows his brows. He dusts his hands on his shorts, clearing it of sand. He thinks over in his head just why is he telling the story. The answer comes rather quickly.

"Because… I want you to know that even though Gaara is a little different than the rest of us, he's a really good kid… and he is human. And as cheesy as this sounds, he's just like us underneath it all. He gets happy… he gets sad… he has things he likes and things he hates. He can be really strong but he is still vulnerable… and scared and he needs someone to be there for him… to take care of him. He needs… um… to be loved and he deserves to be loved. And I just… wish more people will see that and not think he's a freak."

"I do not think Gaara is a freak."

"I'm not saying it's you, Lee. I'm saying it's the stupid people who think Gaara should be sweep under the rug."

"I… really wish to be Gaara's friend."

Kankuro blinks. It is the only reaction he can come up with hearing Lee's words. 'Friend' isn't a word that is thrown around Gaara ever. The closest thing Gaara has to a friend is a teddy bear that he is obsessed with. Said teddy bear is currently residing on Gaara's hotel pillow. Gaara doesn't sleep without it; it's not that he likes the stuffed toy because he doesn't care much about it. It's more that the bear next to his pillow is part of his sleeping routine. Without it, Gaara will not sleep. He wouldn't mind sleeping on the floor without a pillow or a blanket, but if the teddy bear is not next to him, the world is coming to an end for him.

Kankuro pulls himself away from the teddy bear thought. He forces on Lee, trying to assess if the eye-patched teen is being serious. Lee meets Kankuro's intense stare, showing his sincerity. Kankuro looks away and swallows hard. He never thought he will actually have to consider if he should let Gaara have a friend or not. They have just met Lee and know nothing about him. How can he trust the guy? And knowing Temari, she will definitely disapprove it. She is very protective of her youngest brother. Kankuro sighs and comes up with a plan. He'll just have to interview Lee and sees how he interacts with Gaara.

"I think Gaara wants you to be his friend too," he says softly.

For the first time since they have started talking, Lee shows a full-on smile. Kankuro can't help but feels compelled to smile along.

"Hey, you hungry? Wanna grab lunch with us?"

"Oh, that would be lovely," Lee says.

It will be very lovely indeed, Kankuro nods.

* * *

Garra: 12, Lee: 14, Kankuro: 16, Temari: 18 going on 19


	5. Chapter 5

"Why is he here?"

Temari glares at Lee rudely. She has only met the boy for the second time and she already has an unexplainable dislike toward him. Maybe it has to do with his too-polite personality. Maybe it's the eye-patch. Maybe she doesn't like him being so nice to Gaara without knowing what his motive is. She'll be the first one to admit it; yes, she is paranoid and overprotective. But if she was aloof like Kankuro, Gaara would be fish food by now. It makes sense, at least to her, that she doesn't let just anyone get close to her youngest brother. Gaara can't tell what's good or bad for him; Temari has to do the job. It's not like Kankuro will step in any time soon.

Lee steals a shy glance at Gaara before he lowers his head apologetically. Kankuro throws an arm over the black-haired teen's shoulder and nudges him forward. Temari switches her glare at her brother. Kankuro is always looking for ways to get on her nerves; bringing a stranger to lunch seems very typical of him.

"He's just grabbing lunch with us," Kankuro says with a crooked grin.

"You can't just invite someone without telling me first," Temari scolds. She doesn't care how rude it sounds or that Lee is right there listening. She isn't one who worries about whose toes she steps on.

"C'mon, it's just lunch. I'm sure he isn't going to eat off our plates."

"Oh no, I will not do that," Lee mutters. He drops his head again when he earns a scary look from Temari.

Temari huffs loudly. She sits down angrily with her arms crossed her chest. She drags her chair closer to the wall. If Kankuro wants to invite someone to lunch, that is fine with her. Just don't expect her to be nice and pleasant. She grabs the menu and slams it on the table before she opens it up. She can feel someone from another table giving her a look but, again, she doesn't care. She flips harshly to the new page as Kankuro sits down next to her and urges Lee to take a seat. She takes a quick look to see Lee shyly sitting next to Gaara. Gaara doesn't even look at their guest; he is too busy rearranging the pepper and salt shaker. He is a little confused on what to do with the soy sauce bottle. Lee watches he moves the condiment to the center of the table. He smiles at Gaara and guides his eyes to Temari. The smile fades immediately when he sees how seriously furious Temari looks.

Temari knows she is a scary person. She has actually been told that many, many times by many, many people. Intimidation comes in handy when she has to deal with weird questions from strangers and acquaintances asking about Gaara. Some questions are stemmed from ignorance. Some are from concern. Some are just plain stupid and rude. If she glares at the people hard enough, it usually shuts them up. Gaara isn't a circus show to be stared at nor is he an artifact in a show-and-tell. If they have questions, they should look for answers themselves. She doesn't mind imparting knowledge on Gaara's condition, but not when the other party thinks it isn't of important consequences. She still cringes when she remembers that one idiot who said Gaara is 'faking it'.

"So you ever had Chinese food before?" Kankuro asks.

"Yes," Lee answers after a moment to make sure that Kankuro is talking to him. He smiles weakly at the question, seeing as it is rather obvious he is of Asian descendents.

"Cool, so you'll know not to accidentally order the dog meat," Kankuro jokes. He is the only one that laughs. He clears his throat and says quickly, "I'm getting the orange chicken… What about you, Temari?"

"I am not hungry anymore."

Temari catches herself staring at Lee again. He picks up the menu and hides his face behind it. She squints when she sees his cuts on his forearm. Gaara tends to get hurt a lot so Temari is quite familiar with what kind of injuries will leave what kind of marks. She scrutinizes Lee's skin and can tell almost immediately that they are from a knife, a razor blade, or scissors. Since they're of exact length, Temari narrows her guess down to razor blades. Unless someone holds Lee down and gives him identical cuts, Temari is fairly certain that they're self-inflicted. She looks at the gauze over Lee's eye. She has never known any self-mutilators to poke their eyes out. She clutches the menu tightly; she has found another reason why she doesn't want Lee near Gaara. The last thing she needs is for Gaara to imitate Lee. Gaara already has self-abusing tendency due to his condition and Temari has fought hard to keep him out of it. She doesn't want Gaara hurting himself when there are so many things in the world that can hurt him.

"Hey, bro," Kankuro calls to Gaara, "what do you wanna eat?"

Lee lowers the menu from his face and looks over at Gaara with a shy smile. Gaara has finished rearranging the table and is now staring blankly at the napkin dispenser. He looks like he wants to touch it but is afraid to. He turns his head when Kankuro says his name but he doesn't look at Kankuro's direction. He looks down at the floor as if the floor has said his name. He looks up from the floor and his eyes trace the outline of Lee's body. His eyes move to chin-level before he looks back to the napkin dispenser. Lee looks disappointed when Gaara doesn't make eye-contact with him. Temari watches the interaction, her nails scratching the laminated menu folder. Even though Gaara hasn't looked at Lee, she can tell that he is interested and curious about him. It is like when dogs carefully sniff a new object before approaching it, not that she is comparing her brother to a dog.

Lee sees Gaara eying the dispenser and reaches over for the metal box. He drags it in front of him and pulls out a thin napkin to show Gaara how it works. Gaara watches and is amused by how the napkin comes out of the box. Lee flattens the napkin and keeps it for him. He pulls out another one and slides it across the table to Gaara. He looks at Kankuro and pushes the dispenser to him. Before Kankuro can get it, Gaara leans on the table and snatches it for himself. He holds it with both hands possessively, examining the box with great interest. His fingers touch the white napkin. He pinches it and yanks it out. He lets the napkin drop and pinches out another one. He grips the box hard with one hand and starts pulling out napkins after napkins frantically.

"Thanks a lot," Temari scowls at Lee.

"I-I am sorry…! I-I did not know he…"

"Stop it, Gaara."

Temari takes the dispenser and hides it out of Gaara's sight. Gaara stares at the pile of napkin in front of him. He eyes around for the dispenser but loses interest when he can't find it. He shifts his attention around the restaurant. Lee sits up straight and tends to the napkins. He doesn't look like he wants to waste them and starts folding them neatly. Gaara looks down from the ceiling and at the table. He watches Lee fold the napkins. He grabs one as well and tries to fold it. He does a sloppy job of it. Temari pushes away her menu. She gathers all the wasted napkins on the table and crumbles them into a big ball. Kankuro takes the ball from her and turns around. He leaves the napkin ball on the empty table. A waiter walks by and eyes the ball with a frown.

"Don't teach him to do that," Temari warns Lee. "Once he picks up a habit, he'll never get rid of it."

"Oh… I understand… I am sorry…"

Gaara is still trying to fold the napkin back to its original form. Temari takes it away from him. Gaara doesn't protest but he does look a little sad. His eyes wander to the side of the table, where the dispenser once stood. Once he realizes that it's not there anymore, he scans the table.

"I want broccoli," Gaara mutters.

"You got it," Kankuro says. He looks at Lee and asks, "What about you?"

"I will have the wonton soup."

"Good choice." Kankuro stands up and grabs the menu. "I'm just going to order up front. They look kinda too busy to take our order. You sure you don't want anything, Temari?"

"I am fine," she mutters, "I have no appetite."

"Suit yourself. Be right back." Kankuro heads toward the front counter.

Temari puts the dispenser back on the table, and Gaara has lost interested in it. She puts her fists on the table and leans back against the chair. She looks Lee up and down, trying to assess as much information about him as she can from his look. He is wearing a dark green t-shirt with a horizontal orange stripe. He is in a pair of frayed denim jeans. His tennis shoes are worn. Lee has distinguishing features. His brows are heavy and thick. His one eye is big and round, like a cartoon character. His nose is high and isn't too wide or too narrow. His mouth is a good proportion to the rest of his face. His lips are thin and he tends to purse them. He has defined cheekbones and a strong jaw. He sits with a straight back and he keeps his hands on his laps. He doesn't speak in contractions and he is always polite with his words. He lacks self-confidence since he keeps his head down a lot, and he fidgets when he speaks. Temari concludes that Lee is an honest and sincere person who has low self-esteem. If she had met him under different circumstance, Temari would've liked him and might've even wanted to befriend him. But fate would it have that she hates his guts.

"How old are you?" Temari asks bluntly.

"I-I… am f-fourteen," Lee stammers off-guard.

"Where are you from? Where are your parents?" Temari brings her arms over her chest. "Do they know you're here with us?"

"They know."

"Temari! Come over here!" Kankuro shouts from the counter. He waves at her.

Temari doesn't feel like getting up but she also doesn't want to shout across the restaurant like her brother is doing. She glares at Lee, wordlessly telling him not to try anything funny, before she stands up. She walks over to the counter and leans it on. The cashier smiles awkwardly at her. She eyes her brother with little patience.

"What is it?"

"I gotta talk to you about something," Kankuro says.

"What?"

"Come on over here. Come on."

Kankuro puts both hands on her shoulders and ushers her toward the entrance of the restaurant. Temari knows that look; she can tell that Kankuro is up to no good. They go behind a line of chairs in the lobby. Temari charges her hand on her waist and glares at her younger brother, who is grinning like a dork at her.

"Spill it."

"What's the matter with you?" Kankuro asks.

"What's the matter with me? I'll tell you. You know I don't like that guy and you just had to take him with you. What's the matter with you! You're just trying to get on my nerves."

"C'mon, Lee's a nice guy. Aren't you happy that someone takes a genuine interest in Gaara who doesn't happen to be a doctor or a therapist? He told me he wants to be friends with him. And you know what, I think Gaara wants to be his friend too."

At the mention of 'friend', Temari hardens. She feels like a horrible person for thinking it but she cannot grasp a reason why anyone would want to befriend Gaara. Gaara doesn't play well with other children and pays little attention to anyone aside himself. He lives in his own world and lives by his own rules. He is not a nice kid. Most people are usually afraid to even get close to him once they know about his condition. They act like he is contagious with a deadly virus. There is only one plausible reason in Temari's mind for anyone voluntarily wanting to be Gaara's friend: Gaara is good-looking. She isn't biased because she is the big sister, but Gaara really does possess good looks. If it weren't for his condition, Temari is certain that there would be lines waiting to woo him. She groans at the thought of the fourteen-year-old lusting after her brother. She has found another reason for disliking Lee.

"I mean, just look. Just look at them." Kankuro turns Temari around and points at their table.

Lee is talking softly to Gaara with a big smile on his face. They are standing too far away for Temari to hear what he is telling Gaara. Gaara isn't exactly listening; his head is kept low and faces the other way. Lee goes on talking. He says something that makes him laugh. Gaara tilts his head to Lee's direction. Temari wants to scream when she sees Gaara grinning at Lee. She presses her legs hard on the floor as she watches Gaara leans his forehead on Lee's shoulder. She is ready to pull her hair out when she sees Lee putting an arm on her brother's shoulder.

"Look at that," Kankuro says, "they like each other. Can't you be happy that Gaara's found a friend?"

Temari isn't given the time to answer the question. They – along with half of the restaurant – gasp in horror. Gaara has suddenly and unexpectedly tackled Lee to the ground. It isn't a playful tackle; it is a full-on attack. Lee falls off the chair and hits his back hard on the tiles. Gaara leaps on top of him with his hands gripped tightly around Lee's neck. He lets one hand go and starts punching Lee in the face. Lee brings his arms up to defend himself. Gaara lets go of Lee's neck and alternates between punching and scratching. Temari watches the fight in disbelief. She blinks her mind out of the trance and gives Kankuro a look.

"I don't think Gaara's found a friend," she says with a hint of tease.

Kankuro is speechless. He runs over to the table to help. Temari follows behind. Once they get closer to the site, Temari finally softens up a little to Lee. Lee isn't hitting Gaara back or defending himself; he is trying to calm Gaara down. He speaks softly, saying words of comfort, with a warm smile. He stops protecting his head and instead tries to hold on to Gaara's arms to make him stop. Temari can tell that he isn't grabbing Gaara; it is just a gentle hold. Kankuro gets behind Gaara and lifts him off of Lee. Gaara kicks his legs and manages to land a hard kick on Lee's chin. Gaara thrushes his limbs ferociously and shrieks like a feral beast. Kankuro wraps his arms around his little brother's waist like a blanket and hushes him.

"C'mon, bro, chill. It's cool," Kankuro says.

"I-I am sorry," Lee says once he gets off the floor with, surprisingly, Temari's help. He rubs his jaw and mumbles, "I said something wrong."

"It-It's fine. Don't worry about it. He's really moody sometimes. He'll chill in a bit."

The rest of the patrons in the restaurant whispers amongst themselves. Temari hears a woman calling Gaara 'a brat'. A man says they should learn to control the kid better. One of the servers come by and asks if they need anything. Temari kindly tells him that he needs to go away. She eyes Lee and groans. She doesn't care how much Kankuro thinks they like each other, Gaara doesn't do well with strangers and she isn't entirely surprised that she has attacked him. Gaara has a violent history that Kankuro doesn't really know about.

"Gaara, come on!" Kankuro says a little louder than he needs. "Everything's cool."

Gaara squirms in his older brother's arms. He nearly slips out of his shirt just to get out of the hold. He lets out a sharp cry and stomps his feet.

"Dude! What's up with you? I never saw you like this before."

"I am sorry for upsetting you," Lee mutters softly to Gaara. "Please forgive me."

Gaara seems to understand Lee's apology. He stops struggling as hard as before but still makes shrilling noises. With the way Kankuro is holding him, he can't use his arms and resorts to kicking his legs in the air. He kicks both legs and almost falls on his butt if Kankuro hasn't caught him and picks him back up on his feet.

"Let him go, Kankuro," Temari orders. "You're scaring him."

Kankuro waits for a few more seconds before he releases Gaara out of his grip. By then, Gaara has calmed down a lot and isn't screaming anymore. Gaara stands weakly and looks around him. He looks down at his shirt and starts straightening out the wrinkles. The act soothes him and the ferocity in his face slowly returns to his usual aloof expression. Lee rubs his chin while he watches Gaara carefully. The four of them stand awkwardly in the middle of the restaurant and no one says a word. Whispering sounds all around them. Temari can feel the eyes looking at them, waiting for them to either sit down or get a move on. She rubs her temple and huffs angrily.

"You know what, I'm not hungry anymore either," Kankuro grumbles. He ruffles Gaara's hair and says to Temari, "You wanna go?"

"Yeah, let's get out of here."

Temari leads the way out of the restaurant. The server and the cashier whisper to each other but look away quickly when Temari glares at them. Kankuro ushers Gaara out. Lee lags behind. Once they are outside, Lee keeps his distance from the siblings. He drops his head and bows his body.

"I am truly sorry for ruining your lunch," he apologizes.

"Don't worry about it, man, it wasn't you," Kankuro says, keeping a close eye on Gaara.

"And there won't be a next time," Temari adds bitterly.

"I-I am sorry…" Lee whispers dejectedly. "I will not bother you anymore."

"Oh, come on. If anything, we should be the ones saying sorry since Gaara did jump you."

"It was my fault for upsetting him."

"Yes, it is," Temari scolds. "I don't know what you said to him, but it's obvious to me that Gaara doesn't like you around, so… don't hate me for saying this but I don't want to see you near Gaara again."

"Damn it, Temari," Kankuro mutters under his breath.

"Damn it, Temari," Gaara echoes. He isn't even looking at the group. He eyes the concrete sidewalk and stares at a grey piece of old gum.

Temari ignores the words out of Gaara's mouth for now. She will be sure to give Kankuro a good talking-to once they are back in the hotel room. She doesn't want Gaara to pick up any more bad words from his brother.

Lee nods his head a few times and takes a step back. He bows one time, keeping his head low and avoiding eye contact.

"I hope you will forgive me… but I will not bother you anymore…"

Lee lifts his head and steals a quick glance at Gaara. He nods a good-bye to Kankuro before he turns around and hurries down the street. Kankuro gives a wave that Lee didn't see since he is running at top speed away from them. He turns to Temari and narrows his eyes, putting on an angry look.

"Why the fuck did you say that for?"

"Watch your mouth, Kankuro!"

"What do you got against him? I don't get it. I don't fucking get it."

"You saw how Gaara freaked out so don't tell me this guy is good for him because he is not."

Kankuro doesn't respond but she knows her brother well enough to tell what his body language means. He leads Gaara by the shoulder and ushers him away from her. It isn't the direction of the hotel or the beach. Temari crosses her arms over her chest. The corner of her eye twitches in anger.

"Where are you taking Gaara?" she demands.

"Away from you," Kankuro shouts. "We don't wanna talk to you right now."

"Grow up, Kankuro," Temari barks, drawing the people's attention to her. "I am doing what's best for him. I have to be the one to protect him."

Kankuro doesn't turn around. He brings both hands up and gives Temari two middle fingers while he keeps walking further away. Gaara walks in front of Kankuro and stumbles a bit, not knowing where to go. Temari watches them blend in the afternoon crowd. She resists the urge to throw her shoe at Kankuro's head. She takes a deep breath to steady herself and fights off the frustrated tears threatening to explode from her eyes. Sometimes, Kankuro is even more immature than Gaara, and he is supposed to be the older brother. He just doesn't understand the sacrifices she has to make for Gaara's well-being.

Temari turns on her heels and walks back to the hotel. She needs a drink.


	6. Chapter 6

Temari staggers her way back to the hotel room. She fumbles with her key card, trying to figure out which way to slide it down the slot so the little green light will show up. She tries it twice before the light pops up and the door unlocks. She stares at the handle in a daze before she can gather herself and pushes down on the level. By then, the lock has already been reactivated. She grunts, silently cursing at the electric mechanism, and slides the card down. She leans her weight on the level and pushes her way into the hotel room. She can hear the television showing Gaara's cartoon. Is it already five o'clock? She didn't notice how quickly time passed while she was in the bar. She stumbles toward the couch and uses it to support herself.

"You're drunk," Kankuro says from the bed. "Where did you get alcohol?"

"This guy at the bar," Temari hiccups. She kicks off her shoes and falls on the couch. "You have no idea… what you can get men to do if you just show your boobs."

"What the hell, Temari, you aren't legal yet."

"So what? Plenty people drink underage. And who are you to talk, hmm? I know you've been smoking."

Kankuro shuts up. He walks over to the couch and helps Temari up. They walk around Gaara sitting on the floor and into the bathroom. Temari leans on the sink and coughs as an urge to empty her stomach rises. Kankuro gives her back a rub while she gags loudly and spits into the sink.

"Vodka isn't my drink," she mumbles. She grabs a tissue and wipes her mouth. She looks up at her reflection and then at Kankuro's. "You aren't mad at me anymore?"

"You know I can't stay mad at you," Kankuro answers. He looks away a little embarrassingly. "And you were right… about the whole protecting Gaara thing."

"I'm always right."

"Yeah, sure. But I really don't get it. What's so bad about Lee?"

"Don't say his name in front of me," Temari snaps. She gags loudly and pushes herself away from the sink. She staggers toward the toilet and leans over it. "I-I don't… want to hear how amazing he is. I don't… Ughh… I don't like him."

"It doesn't matter if you like him or not. Gaara likes him. He made me go look for him after he left."

"What!" Temari shouts before her stomach spasms and she vomits noisily into the toilet bowl. She takes a break and heaves heavily. She takes the tissue that Kankuro hands her and cleans her mouth.

"You want some water?"

"Y… Yes…"

"Alright, hang on."

Kankuro leaves the bathroom. Temari slumps over the toilet seat. She groans at the pain throbbing in her head. It isn't just the alcohol that is bugging her; she is also confused by Gaara's obsession with Lee. She lets out a whimper and leans over the toilet bowl. Her throat burns from the stomach acid and her jaw and abdomen muscles ache. Since she didn't eat lunch, she is regurgitating the peanuts and pretzels she ate at the bar. She winced at the disgusting re-taste of the snacks. She spits into the bowl, trying to clear any remnant in her mouth. She slaps herself mentally for thinking that alcohol will solve her problem. Apparently, she didn't drink enough of it; but it was hard to get the guy to keep buying her drinks once he realized that she wasn't going to put out.

"Here," Kankuro says, giving a glass of water to her.

"Thanks…" She gulps down half the glass and sighs. Maybe it is the alcohol getting to her head or maybe she is just feeling sentimental, she looks up at Kankuro and says, "You know I love you, right? I know I'm really mean but you know I do, right?"

"Y-yeah… I know," Kankuro answers awkwardly. He clears his throat and glances away. Shyly, he says, "And… same here."

"I try, Kankuro, I try so hard to be a good sister for you and Gaara. But… I keep messing up."

"Woah, hey now. You're an awesome sis. I mean, me and Gaara are a handful and somehow you manage."

"I miss Mom," Temari whimpers, a drop of tear trailing down her cheek. "I miss her so much."

"I miss her too…"

Temari purges the remaining content of her stomach into the bowl. She half-coughs-half-sobs at the barely digested food. Kankuro rubs a hand on her back up and down. He grabs more tissues and hands it over. Temari sniffles and blows her nose. She drops the crumbled ball into the bowl and flushes the toilet. She takes a breath to steady herself. She can't remember the last time she has cried in front of another person; it might have very well been at their mother's funeral and that was twelve years ago. Ever since their mother died, Temari kind of picked up the role of being the mother. In a way, Temari didn't have a childhood. She has held a job as soon as she was legally able to do so and helped out around the house. Kankuro and Gaara didn't make her job easy, neither did their father. If their mother were alive, Temari would've had a much easier life.

"If she was here, she'd know what to do. She'd take care of you and Gaara and me. She'd cook and take us to school and go with us on vacations. She wouldn't walk out on us."

"Yeah, well… we take care of each other and we're doing good so far," Kankuro says firmly, "we got each other's back. We don't need anybody."

"But it's so hard," Temari finally lets her inhibition goes and wails loudly. She has always put on the façade of being a tough young woman. Right now, she doesn't care how weak and vulnerable she looks.

"Hey, come on…" Kankuro kneels down and puts both hands on her shoulders. "You know I hate seeing people cry."

"I'm such a horrible sister."

"No, you are not," Kankuro says. He rubs her arms and tries to comfort her. "You know you aren't a horrible sister so shut up about it."

"Gaara hates me! He won't let me t-touch him. He d-doesn't talk to me. He won't even l-look at m-me! And then that asshole, Lee, c-comes along and Gaara is, like, in love with him. W-what's so special about him anyways? H-he's just a 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry' freak."

"C'mon, Temari, why are you getting jealous over that? I know it sucks but… Gaara finally takes an interest in someone and you can't be happy for him?"

"Why can't he take an interest in me?"

"Don't ask me. Maybe it's 'cause you're a chick?" Kankuro chuckles. He squeezes Temari's shoulder and asks, "Do you think Gaara is gay? That explains why he likes guys more."

"Stop kidding around," Temari hiccups. She wipes her eyes and blows her nose. She takes a sharp breath and says, "I-I love and care about him so much but he won't even c-call me by my name. Sometimes I just think… What am I to him? A servant? Does he know I'm his sister? Does he even love me back? Would he notice if I was gone?"

"Oh, give me a break. Of course Gaara loves you. He just shows it differently. I mean, you aren't expecting him to give you a big hug and kiss."

Temari rubs her eyes. She gives up trying to save her eye make-up. She can't see herself in the mirror but she is pretty sure she looks like a raccoon by now. She sighs and invites air into her lungs. She can feel the alcohol leaving her system but her head is still heavy and she wants to sleep. She gets up, with Kankuro's help, and leans on the sink to wash her face. It feels relieving to let out all the bottled up feelings in her chest. Maybe getting drunk tonight has been a good choice. She knows she'll regret it in the morning when she wakes up with a hang-over. What bothers her the most and makes her want to cry again is knowing that tomorrow will not be any different than today. Their mother will still be dead. Their father will have walked out on them. Gaara will still need special care. Nothing will be better when the sun rises.

She takes the towel Kankuro hands her and dries her face. She pats her cheeks and breathes out of her mouth. She drinks the rest of the water and hands the glass to Kankuro. They walk out of the bathroom together. The cartoon is over and Gaara has chosen to occupy himself by playing with his Lego blocks. He is stacking each block on top of the other. The tower is almost half his height. She squints when she sees something sticking on Gaara's forehead.

"What's that… on his forehead?"

"Oh, Lee gave him a sticker and he stuck it there."

Temari stumbles over and almost knocks down Gaara's block tower. She leans close and looks through Gaara's bang to see a glittery red heart sticker on the left side of his forehead. At any other time, she would've ripped the sticker off and thrown it away. Right now, she is too sad and tired to deal with it. She walks over to the bed and flumps down on the cover. Kankuro has to come over and helps her into bed. She feels like a little girl and remembers how their mother used to tuck them in every night. She rolls on to her back and gazes up at Kankuro.

"How old are you now, Kankuro?"

"Huh? I am sixteen. Why?"

"You're so grown up..."

Kankuro grins at her and helps tucked her into bed. Temari rolls on her side. Her head feels heavy and her eyes close quickly. Sleep doesn't come immediately. Rather, a state of drowsiness takes over. She drifts in and out of consciousness, faintly hearing Kankuro asking Gaara what he wants to eat. Gaara says an answer that Temari doesn't hear clearly. She makes a small yawn then sleep finally comes.

Temari wakes up at eight o'clock when her phone starts vibrating. She has forgotten that she has set up an alarm. Her head feels a little better but she still feels tired and beat. She gets out of bed and quietly walks into the bathroom to get ready for the day. She knows Gaara is a heavy sleeper and won't be disturbed by her. Kankuro, on the other hand, can be problematic. Temari knows he hasn't been getting enough sleep from crashing on the couch. She does feel a tad bit bad for being stingy and not wanting to pay for a cot. Kankuro will definitely complaint of bad pain in the near future and Temari doesn't want to hear it. It isn't that she can't afford it for the extra fifty dollars a night; she has already spent a fortune on the trip. It just, somewhere in her mind, she thinks it will be good for Kankuro. Maybe she even sees it as a kind of punishment.

She turns on the faucet and washes her face with warm water. She checks her post-drunk reflection on the large mirror and groans inwardly at the bags under her eyes. She stretches her skin and tries to hide the thin wrinkles. She is only 18; she shouldn't have wrinkles for another thirty years. She blames having to take care of her brothers while juggling a job and going to community college. Most people can graduate college in four years. Thanks for her busy schedule, Temari is on a six-year plan as a part-time student.

She thinks back to yesterday and the conversation she has with her brother in the bathroom. She can't remember all of it but she recalls talking about how difficult it is for Temari to take care of the family. Kankuro'll never know the nights she stays up thinking about the future and crying when she realizes how hopeless it can be. She will be happy if he will just wash the dishes or do the laundry for once. She knows she can't rely on Gaara to help out with chores; Kankuro should know better.

She heads back into the room and chooses something nice but casual to wear. She changes quickly in the bathroom and works on putting a light layer of make-up. She needs it to cover up her fatigued appearance but doesn't want to look like a tramp. She chooses a classy pair of earrings and puts it on. She grabs her pajama and walks into the room. She throws her clothes on the bed and picks up her purse on the bed stand. She stands between the two beds and watches Gaara sleep for a moment. He looks really tranquil and content as if sleep is the only solace he has from the stress of daily life. She leans toward her brother with caution, like he is a dangerous tiger that can bite her arm off. She caresses his cheek and releases a quiet sigh. She frowns at the glittering heart sticker on his forehead but doesn't peel it off. She can let him have something to remember Lee by.

She turns toward the door and sees Kankuro stirring from the couch. He blinks open a tired eye and squints. He yawns loudly and stretches his arms. He pushes himself up, eying Temari groggily.

"Where you off to?" He grabs his phone and checks the time. "It's only 8."

"I'm going to get us breakfast. I know you didn't like the hotel food."

"We can go together when Gaara is up."

"No, I read about this place. They open at 9 every day and serve the best pancake in town. It says there is usually an hour long wait. I figure I'll go ahead and see for myself."

"That must be some pretty damn good pancakes," Kankuro says through a yawn.

"Hopefully there isn't already a line waiting outside."

"How you feeling? No hang-over?"

"I'm good. I'll probably get some aspirins on my way."

"Alright… Good luck with the pancakes."

"Take care of Gaara," Temari instructs.

She walks toward the door and puts on her low heels. Kankuro grabs his pillow off the couch and staggers toward the bed. He throws Temari's pajama on the bed stand and snuggles into bed. He heaves a loud and content sigh.

"I miss you bed," he mumbles as he pulls the comforter up to his chest and rolls on his side.

Temari waits to hear Kankuro's quiet snoring before she leaves the room. She walks through the lobby and finds the ATM machine. She checks her account balance on the machine. She doesn't like the number she sees. She has less than a thousand dollars left and that is supposed to help them survive till the end of the month. She doesn't have to worry about the trip since she has set a strict budget for it and they aren't close to reaching the limit. She will just have to cut down their expenses until their father sends her the next check. She walks out of the hotel and breathes in the eight o'clock weather.

The morning air is fresh and less humid. The whole city seems to be different from the afternoon and night scene. The city is quiet and peaceful. Birds greet each other with morning songs. Senior citizens walk slowly on the beach; couples holding each other's hand. There are less excited college students around; they are probably still hung-over from the night before. Temari heads toward the taxi lobby and waits for a cab. Since it isn't check-out time, there aren't many people waiting for transportation. She gets in the cab and shows the business card to the driver. The driver looks at the address on the card and eyes her through the rear-view mirror with a curious look. He doesn't make a comment and drives off.

The radio muffles a talk show that Temari isn't interested in listening. She gazes out the window and takes in the scenery that she hasn't had a good chance to look at. It is such a typical beach city that Temari has seen on TV and movies. Tall palm trees and flashy buildings decorate the city. It's a livelier sight than their desert home but Temari isn't finding anything special about it. The humidity, first of all, is driving her and her hair crazy. She is glad she remembered to bring the anti-frizz or she will be walking around with a big, blonde afro. She misses their home and the dryness that surrounds it. Sure, she has to deal with chapped lips and skins but it's better than feeling like a hot sauna everywhere she goes.

The cab takes a left and gets on the freeway. They leave the beach behind and gets off at the suburban area. The cab drives through a residential area that is filled with tall trees and bushes. The area is rich and occupy by wealthy elites. They drive past an elementary school that looks ten-times better than Gaara's school. The driver turns left at the streetlight and makes a right through an open gate and into a wide driveway. It pulls up to the front door of a two-story house. Temari pays the hefty fare and asks the driver to wait for her. She gets off the car and takes a look at the house. She walks up the steps and rings the door bell. While she waits to be greeted, she looks at the wooden bench sitting on the porch. Someone has left a notebook on it. She turns back to the door and rings the bell again when no one answers. She checks the time; someone should be home.

She looks to the window by the front door and sees the white lace curtain moving. Someone's eye peeks out at her. The curtain quickly falls and hides the unknown looker. She hears footsteps heading to the door and takes a step back. The door opens and a brown-haired man smiles at her as he works the lock on the gate.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," the man says after he opens the door. "It's so nice to see you again, Temari. Come on in."

"Thanks, Mr. Umino," she says.

"Oh, please call me Iruka."

Iruka holds the door open while Temari walks in. He closes the door and locks it again. Temari takes off her shoes and puts them by the shoe racks. She slips on the slippers offered to her by Iruka. It feels funny to wear slippers indoor but she knows it is for a good reason.

"How are you today?" Iruka asks with a warm smile.

"As good as I can be," Temari answers in a low voice. She puts on a weak smile to match Iruka's but fails miserably.

"How is Gaara?"

"He's… good. He is just… him."

Iruka leads Temari down the small hallway and walk into the living room. There are two couches placed in a perpendicular. One of them faces the window while the other faces the television. A teenage girl with her hair in two buns is sitting on the couch reading a book.

"Tenten, this is Temari," Iruka says.

Tenten looks up from the book. She winks her left eye. Temari is a little put-off by the wink. Tenten waves and mutters a quiet greeting before she goes back to reading.

"Do you mind leaving the room to us?"

"Sure," Tenten says. She gets off her couch. Her left eye winks again and she acts like it didn't even happen. "Can I get something to eat?"

"Of course you can."

Tenten snickers happily and walks out of the living room. Temari catches her winking her eye before she leaves. She sits down on the couch and looks at the pot of coffee ready and waiting on the coffee table. She takes the cup and takes a sip. She puts it back on the saucer and looks over at Iruka.

"I'm sorry about what happened yesterday," Temari says, "Gaara can be a little… intense… sometimes."

"I understand completely."

"That's why… I think it might be a good idea to move him in there… at least for a while."

"I told a little bit about us yesterday already. We have trained attendants to take care of the children so you don't have to worry about anything. I promise we'll take good care of Gaara."

"Is there anyone living here with his condition? Maybe that'll help him get adjusted easier."

"We do actually, but his condition is less severe than Gaara's, though I'm sure he'll be very willing and excited to meet Gaara."

"That's good… but I'm warning you now, Gaara doesn't play nice at all. Just yesterday he attacked this guy he knew."

"I'm sure it won't be a problem," Iruka smiles. "And if it does, we'll know how to deal with it."

It makes Temari feels a little better about the decision to admit Gaara to Leaf Village Home. Their father is the one who told her about the place and how Gaara can benefit from it. She doesn't want to leave Gaara to the hands of strangers but she doesn't have a choice. She takes a detailed look around the living room and gets the vibe that her brother will probably be better off here. There will be professional people who will tend to his need. He will have teachers to help him continue his education. He will have other children to play with. Temari hates to admit it but Gaara is rather neglected back home. Aside from chores, Temari has to keep up with her schoolwork. Sometimes, she can barely keep an eye out for Gaara and wish he would stay put in one place. Kankuro is easily distracted by TV and video games. Temari remembers walking into Kankuro's room to find Kankuro completely taken in by his computer game while Gaara sits in the corner and stares at the floor. It makes her feel bad but there is nothing she can do. In Leaf Village Home, Temari thinks Gaara may finally get the attention he deserves.

"So, Gaara can start living here at the end of this week? That's when our 'vacation' is over."

"Oh, yes, we'll be ready for him. Do you need help with moving in?"

"No… I figure I'd settled him down first before I send all of his stuff over here."

"It would help him adjust quicker if we can decorate his room similarly to the one back home."

"I know… but Gaara's really good at adapting to new environment. He didn't even make a fuss about the hotel room. I'll get what we have with us over here and he'll be set."

"That will be perfectly fine." Iruka scoots to the edge of the couch and leans a little closer toward Temari. "Have you talked to your other brother about it?"

"No, Kankuro doesn't know anything about it."

"Excuse me for intruding but I think this is an important decision that needs to be discussed by the whole family. Any stress from a family member can greatly affect how Gaara will react to the news."

"I know," Temari says with a sigh, "I'll tell him today. I just wanted him to have fun with Gaara… while he still can."

"I know this is very hard for you but I assure you we have the best intention for Gaara in mind."

"I just want you to know that this isn't a permanent thing," Temari says, her voice breaking up a little. She sniffs and bites down on her lip. "This is just… a daycare for Gaara until I can get the money to take him home with us. I'm not dumping my little brother off… I just need… a little time to get my stuff together."

"I think I've mentioned this before," Iruka says, "we have an outpatient program where Gaara can spend a week or two or even just a few days with us, if that's what you prefer."

"Like summer camp?"

"You can say that."

"I don't know… I'll have to think about that… I don't want Gaara going back and forth between places. He'll get frustrated."

"Whatever you feel is the best choice for Gaara will probably be the right choice. You know him better than I do."

Temari nods and tries hard to smile. The alcohol must still be coursing through her system because she feels like crying again. The corner of her lips twitch and her eyesight gets blurry from water. Iruka slides a box of tissue over but doesn't deliberately offer one to her. She sniffles and takes a deep breath. She sips a more gulp of her coffee to jumpstart her day. She grabs her purse and stands up.

"I-I think that's all I need to know now," she says.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," Iruka says, standing up as well.

"Thank you. I'll be back Friday."

"And we'll be ready. I look forward to seeing you and your family then."

Iruka shows Temari the way out of the living room. Faint footsteps sound from the staircase a little further down the hall. Iruka looks up and waves at the person walking down the stairs.

"That's one of our outpatients," Iruka says. "He's a really sweet boy."

Temari turns around and looks up the stairs. Her eyes are still a little blurry from tears but she can clearly make out who it is. She gasps loudly. Her body goes stiff. A rage and panic boil up inside her. She brings her hand up and points an accusing finger.

"You!?"

Lee narrows his eyes but gasps loudly when he sees who it is. He looks frantically from Iruka to Temari. The gauze over his eye has been taken off. He takes a step back up the stairs.

"I-I am sorry," Lee stammers. "I am sorry!"

Before Temari can say another word, Lee runs back upstairs. Temari runs to the base of the staircase and looks up to the second floor. She turns to Iruka, who is a little lost on the whole situation.

"Do you know Lee?" Iruka asks.

"He is a patient here? What's wrong with him?"

"There is nothing _wrong _with Lee," Iruka answers defensively.

"Then why does he live here?" Temari raises her voice.

"Lee needs a little help every now and then," Iruka responds calmly, "but he is a very loving boy."

"What kind of help? Is he suicidal? I saw the cuts on his arm. And his eye. What's the matter with his eye?"

"I am afraid I can't tell you that information."

"No, you don't understand. That little creep's been hanging out with Gaara. I don't want my brother picking up anything from him. Gaara can't stay here if that guy is here."

Iruka keeps his lips pressed tight. He looks a bit appalled, disappointed, and offended. Temari swallows and calms herself. She knows she probably shouldn't have called Lee a 'creep' in front of a person who helps special children for a living. She desperately wants to know what Lee suffers from. She really won't be surprised if he is suicidal. She has just found yet another reason to ban Lee forever from Gaara's life.

"I'm sorry… but I think I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Iruka says, dropping the smile he usually has. "I really don't appreciate you referring the children with such… cruel terms."

"Look, okay, I overreacted… but you have to understand… I don't want him hurting Gaara."

"I assure you, Temari, Lee will never hurt Gaara. He is a very harmless, delicate, and fragile person. Just because he lives with us, it doesn't mean that he is a potentially dangerous person. I hope you will understand that before you move Gaara here. We are a community that supports each other and I can't admit someone whose family has such a negative attitude."

"Okay, you're right," Temari breathes out. "I-I understand… Gaara'll stay… as long as you guarantee me that Lee will not do anything to him."

Iruka nods but Temari can tell that she has lost some points with him. He walks her out of the house and they say good-bye at the front porch. She climbs back into the waiting cab and asks to be taken back to the hotel. She leans against the seat and stares at the second floor windows. Her decision to send Gaara away has just become harder.


	7. Chapter 7

Kankuro opens his eyes at the sound of Gaara getting out of bed. He is a very light sleeper and can be woken by the chirp of a bird. He rubs his eyes and rolls toward Gaara's bed to see his little brother standing up. Gaara gathers the heavy comforter and starts his best attempt to fold it in half, which is how his comforter at home looks. He has to walk around the bed before he can fold up the thick blanket and drags it on top of the pillow. He picks up his teddy bear and puts it on top of the comforter; it stands guard against the housekeeper with a note that Temari has written: 'Don't make this bed'. Kankuro scratches his nose as Gaara walks into the bathroom. He can hear Gaara urinating and flushing the toilet. He hears the water running and yawns. He looks at the digital alarm clock and sees that it's only 10 o'clock, which is when Gaara usually wakes up. He wishes Gaara understands that they are on vacation and part of being on vacation means that they don't have to wake up until noon. He stretches his arms and nuzzles into the fluffy pillow; it is a little too soft for his liking. He closes his eyes and tries to get a few extra minutes of sleep.

Gaara rustles out of the bathroom and heads for the drawer. He picks out his choice of clothes for the day and carries it to the bed where he lays his pants and shirts and makes sure that they don't touch each other. He straightens them out even though he'll be wearing them and wrinkling them in a few seconds. Kankuro peeks in time to see Gaara stripping out of his pajama. Gaara folds them on the bed, ignoring the fact that he is completely naked except for his white underpants. Kankuro remembers one time Temari brought him a pack of grey underwear and Gaara wouldn't even look at them. He seems to have an adverse hatred for grey clothing. He also hates pink but only a particular shade of it; Kankuro calls it 'ballerina tutu pink'. Kankuro watches his little brother changes into his day outfit. He doesn't like how skinny Gaara is and how many bruises he has on his body. He doesn't understand how Gaara can manage to be skin and bones since he eats a lot and doesn't exercise regularly. Gaara can almost out-eat Kankuro, though it's only because Kankuro has put himself on a diet to lose the excess weight.

Once Gaara has changed, he puts his pajama into the drawer and closes it. He stands in front of the television and stares at the floor. Kankuro rolls on to his back and throws an arm over his eyes. He can really use one more hour of sleep. He looks at Gaara again, who is still standing in the same spot and staring at the floor.

"Why don't you play with your Legos?"

Gaara walks to the coffee table. Instead of playing with his blocks, he flips through the directory book. Kankuro shrugs; as long as he can get extra time to sleep, he doesn't care what Gaara does to occupy himself. He blinks at the clock when he remembers that Temari is buying them pancakes. He faintly remembers that the store opens at nine and it's already been an hour. The pancakes must really good. Kankuro isn't a huge fan of pancake but he knows Temari and Gaara love them. Pancakes may very well be Gaara's favorite breakfast food. He thought back to last night and how Temari didn't think she is appreciated by Gaara. He makes a mental note to tell her that Gaara loves her pancakes the most. He took Gaara to a pancake house once and Gaara deliberately told him that he didn't want to eat them because they tasted different from their sister's homemade pancakes. Temari will flip when she hears that.

Kankuro tries again to get some shuteye. Gaara, however, has a different idea. He walks over to his older brother with the directory in his hands. Gaara opens the book to the tourist attraction page and points at the picture of the world-famous theme park. Kankuro squints and tries to make out the image. Gaara taps at the picture loudly until Kankuro finally responds.

"You wanna go there?"

"I wanna go there," Gaara mutters, tapping at the picture.

"Temari doesn't want you to go to a theme park," Kankuro says, "she thinks you'd get scared."

"I wanna go there," Gaara repeats. He turns the book over and stares at the smiling faces of the people in the picture.

"But you know what? Screw what she thinks."

Kankuro searches for his phone on the bed stand. He checks to see that Temari hasn't called. He sends her a text message saying six simple words, 'We are going to the theme park'. He reaches over and ruffles Gaara's hair, which makes Gaara grin and squirm. Gaara doesn't like being touched but he doesn't mind it if it's his hair since he associates it with his older brother and he is a safe element. Kankuro notices that the heart sticker is still sticking on Gaara's forehead. He is surprised the glue hasn't come off yet. His phone vibrates and he picks it up quickly. He has expected Temari to call back yelling at him for going against her wish. Instead, he has received a message from her saying, 'Meet you there'.

"Alright," Kankuro says, a little surprised. He turns to Gaara and grins, "Let's go!"

"Let's go!" Gaara echoes, throwing his arms up in the air like Kankuro does.

Kankuro figures he isn't going to get any more rest since Gaara will want to go now and if they don't go immediately, he'll make a fuss. He gets out of bed and walks to the bathroom. He pokes his head back out to see Gaara admiring the directory picture with great interest. He hasn't seen Gaara get so excited about going to a new place for a long while. He gets an idea and sneaks behind his younger brother. He scratches Gaara's head with a teasing grin.

"You want me to call Lee up and ask him to come with us?"

"Lee!"

"I guess that's a 'yes'?"

"Lee!" Gaara shouts again, not taking his eyes off the picture.

Kankuro leap on the bed and grabs his phone. It took a lot of talking before he could convince Lee to give him his number yesterday. He scrolls down his contact list and presses down to call Lee. Gaara walks to the coffee table and sits down on the floor. He closes the directory book and lines it up with the corner of the table. He looks around him, trying to find a new thing to capture his interest. The line connects on the fourth ring.

"Hey, Lee, it's Kankuro!"

"G-good morning," Lee greets weakly.

"Did I wake you?" Kankuro asks after hearing how weary Lee's voice sounds.

"N-no… I am glad you called."

"I'm taking Gaara to the world-famous theme park for fun and excitement, and we want you to come."

"Oh!" Lee sounds surprised. "I-I… Thank you for inviting me but… I do not think I can go."

"Come on," Kankuro pleads, "we're only here for two more days then we're going home. Don't you want to spend more time with Gaara?"

"I do," Lee answers quickly, and Kankuro knows that he has Lee hooked. "But I do not think Temari will like me to be there."

"Don't worry about it. Temari isn't going," Kankuro lies. "She hates rides and always complains how overpriced everything is. She won't be there."

"Will she be mad if I come?"

"Well, she doesn't have to know, does she?"

"I do not want to lie to her."

Kankuro rolls his eyes at Lee's sense of honesty. Obviously the black-haired teen hasn't heard of 'little white lies'.

"I don't know what to tell you, dude… I thought you wanted to hang out with Gaara." Sometimes, Kankuro is amazed at how convincing he can be.

"I do…"

"So…?"

"I… I will go."

"Alright," Kankuro cheers, "we'll meet you at the lobby."

Kankuro hangs up the phone and leaves it on the bed stand. He looks at Gaara staring at the corner of the coffee table and walks over. He gets down next to him and puts a hand on his back. Gaara fidgets a little but doesn't do anything else to reject the touch.

"Now, bro, listen to me," Kankuro says, "Temari doesn't know that Lee is coming so you have to be quiet about it. If she finds out, she's going to be mad. Can you keep a secret?"

Kankuro doesn't expected Gaara to answer even though he knows that Gaara understands what he is saying. It comes as a surprise when Gaara brings his hand up and sticks out his thumb. He watches the new gesture with a curious smile and wonders where Gaara has learned it from.

"Yosh," Gaara mutters.

Kankuro doesn't need to ask to know that Gaara has picked it up from Lee. He has heard Lee say that strange affirmative a few times himself. He pinches Gaara's cheek and gets up quickly. He grabs a change of clothes and heads into the bathroom. He has a feeling today will be very fun-filled day.

Even though it is eleven o'clock on a Wednesday morning, the theme park is already crowded with excited tourists and locals. The park itself is enormous but it doesn't feel like it when there are thousands of people roaming about. Kankuro has to keep a close eye on Gaara in case he gets separated. Gaara may be good with directions and can possibly walk his way back to the hotel fifty miles away; but he won't be able to find Kankuro in the crowd. Luckily, Kankuro doesn't have to worry about Gaara getting lost since Lee has practically attached himself to his little brother. In fact, they are walking hand-in-hand, which is a surprising sight for Kankuro. No matter how comfortable Gaara is with him, every time Kankuro tries to take his hand, Gaara will scream and tries to attack him. It has never really bothered him much since he really doesn't care for holding his brother's hand. But he can understand why Temari feels jealous of Lee. They have known each other for two days and already Gaara is abnormally attached to him. He wonders what it is about Lee that makes Gaara likes him so much. He thinks about the cuts on Lee's arm and wonders if it has something to do with that. Maybe they understand each other on a level that he doesn't. What level it is, however, Kankuro is completely clueless. With his eye bandage taken off, Lee looks just like any other fourteen-year-olds but Kankuro notices that he has gained a fifth cut on his forearm and it looks very recent. He can smell the faint rubbing alcohol on Lee's arm and sees how bright red the cut is. On his eyelid where the bandage once hid, Kankuro can see a slender vertical cut. He really hopes that the wounds on Lee are merely accidents.

They walk their way toward the submarine ride that Gaara likes. He likes to watch the fish and the coral reefs. Gaara has always had a thing for the ocean and water. Kankuro remembers that Gaara once said he wanted to have a fish tank but Temari shot down the idea. It is one of the rare decisions that Kankuro actually agreed with her. A fish tank was simply out of their budget even though he knew Gaara would take good care of the fish. It is a good thing that he outgrew his desire to have pet fish. Maybe someday Kankuro can surprise him with a goldfish; Gaara will like that alot.

There is a two-hour wait for the ride. Kankuro almost decides not to get on it but Gaara has already gotten in line behind a bald man with a stroller. He can tell how insistent his brother is about getting on the ride even if there is a two-hour wait. He stares at the ground, still holding Lee's hand. Lee leans out of the metal fence to see where the line ends. Kankuro stands behind them and sighs impatiently. He can deal with a lot of things; but waiting is the least thing he likes. He shifts his weight between his legs and checks the time; only four minutes have passed. He considers leaving Lee in charge of Gaara and goes to do something else. But he remembers that he is supposed to meet Temari and when she sees that Gaara isn't with him, she'll want an explanation and she'll find out that Lee is here with them and all hell will break loose. His plan is to tell her that they randomly run into Lee at the park and decide to hang out together. He knows Temari won't buy it but it's worth a shot. The line moves a little and Gaara takes a quick step forward.

A blonde woman comes over to the line and walks next to the bald man. It seems they are a couple and the woman has left for a bathroom break.

"Excuse me," the woman says, trying to get back in line with her family.

Gaara doesn't budge an inch. Lee is looking at the other direction and doesn't notice what is happening. Kankuro is well-aware but decides that he wants to wait and sees what will happen and how Lee will handle the situation.

"Excuse me, that's my husband," she says again. She grips on the metal bar and is hoping to hop over the fence. The husband and wife exchange a look. "Can you move?"

Lee finally hears the woman's request. He turns toward her and sees her stepping on the bar. Lee gives Gaara a gentle tug but Gaara doesn't move from his spot. Kankuro can tell that his brother thinks the woman is cutting in front of him. He can see his other hand fisting up.

"Gaara, let the lady through please," Lee whispers softly to Gaara's ear. He gives another tug and Gaara takes a step to the left.

The woman hops over the bar and joins her husband. She mutters something to the man, and they both look back to give Gaara a mean glance. They look at their young daughter in the stroller and coo to her, saying what good girl she is.

"Gaara is a good boy," Gaara mutters to the pavement.

"Yeah, you're," Kankuro says with a grin. He returns a mean look to the couple in front of them. People are so quick to judge without fully understanding the situation. If they have known about Gaara's condition, they will surely not act the same way and be nicer to him. Maybe it will be helpful for Gaara to wear a sign that says, 'I'm special'. Temari will rip his head off if she hears it.

Lee grins briefly at Gaara's statement. The jealous pang hits Kankuro again. Lee must have a magic tongue for Gaara to listen to him so willingly. If it was him in the situation, he would need to pull Gaara away so he would let the woman through. But all Lee has to do was ask nicely. Kankuro can't recall a time when asking nicely works on Gaara. He presses his lips close and looks away for a moment. Normally, he doesn't like to intrude on people's personal business, but he really needs to figure Lee out.

"You mind if I ask you something?"

"No, please go ahead," Lee says.

"What's up with the cuts?" Kankuro asks, pointing at the forearm. "You aren't… hurting yourself, are you?"

"Oh…" Lee gazes down at his arm. He looks a bit hesitant to answer the questions, especially since they are surrounded by strangers. He looks over to Gaara, who is staring at the shoes of the bald man. He meets Kankuro's eyes and says in a quiet voice, "They are reminders."

"For what?"

"To not make the same mistakes again," he answers with a firm nod of his head. "They are punishment for the bad things I have done."

Kankuro frowns at the revelation. The wife in front of them turns her head slyly and steals a peek at Lee's arm. She looks back ahead quickly but Kankuro can see her trying to listen on in their conversation.

"What did you do…? Robbed a bank?" Kankuro jokes. "Killed someone?"

"This one," Lee points at the cut closest to his wrist, "is for leaving the stove on and almost setting the house on fire. This one," he points to the next cut, "is for forgetting to feed my turtle and letting it die. This is for failing my math test and now I have to retake the class. This one," he points to the fourth cut, "is for Gaara and almost letting him drown. This is for upsetting him yesterday and making him angry."

"Wow," is the only thing Kankuro can say. "Wow."

The woman whispers something to her husband and they take a few steps forward. Kankuro scratches the back of his neck and is at a loss of words. He thinks Lee is honestly being too hard on himself. He has done all of the 'mistakes' Lee listed except for the turtle since he doesn't have a turtle. He has left the stove on many times and almost roasted his family alive; that's why Temari never asks him to cook anymore. He is taking geometry again because he just can't understand it and at the rate he is going, he'll be taking it over the summer as well. It is most of his fault that Gaara almost drowned and he has upset Gaara countless times. But he isn't stabbing himself with a knife to compensate for his error. Because unlike Lee, Kankuro understands that everyone makes mistakes and the important thing is to learn from them.

"You know… I gotta say… that's really extreme what you're doing," Kankuro says, "I mean… a smack on the hand can't do it?"

"It helps me remember better," Lee answers.

"Alright… but really, dude… you gotta stop 'cause trust me you're going to do a lot of stupid things in your life and you can't give yourself a cut for everything."

Lee gives a weak nod of his head. Kankuro takes it to mean that he has other cuts hidden on other parts of his body. He shakes his head and can see why Temari doesn't want Lee around Gaara. It will be dangerous for Gaara to pick up the habit from Lee. Gaara already likes to hurt himself when he is extremely upset; it's the reason why he has bruises all over his body. Some of the bruises are accidents. Some of them are deliberate. Gaara doesn't notice he is getting since he is insensitive to pain. Kankuro doesn't want to see his brother picks up a knife and cuts himself; it will break his heart.

"And your eye? Same thing?" Kankuro asks.

"Y-yes… It is my just punishment."

"What did you do?"

"I…" Lee pauses and looks around him. The couple has moved forward and the people behind them aren't speaking English. There is enough distance for him to speak freely. "I accidently saw my friend… taking a shower."

"Oh... Alright…" Kankuro almost laughs at Lee for being so pristine.

"I have violated his privacy… Oh! Her! I mean her privacy. It was a girl!" Lee flusters and drops his head. "No… It was a boy…"

"You saw your guy friend taking a shower. So what?" Kankuro shrugs his shoulders to illustrate his point. "I've seen my friends showering in the gym plenty of times."

"He did not know I was watching."

"Oh, so you watched."

"Y-yes…"

"Heh, so you're a little perv." Kankuro laughs. "But really, who isn't? You don't have to poke your eye out just for it."

"I felt bad… and dirty."

"Wait, hang on." Kankuro finally registers the fact that Lee was watching a guy shower. He opens his eyes wide at the realization. He snickers and isn't entirely too surprised. Lee's behavior is rather suggestive toward that way. "You are… into guys?"

"N-no! It was… I was… It was an accident!"

"But you stayed and watched!"

"I was curious!" Lee shouts in frantic defense. "I do not like Neji that way!"

The couple that has moved forward turns their heads back. The bald man says something to his wife with a chuckle. The wife snickers and takes a look at Lee. The Russian-speaking family behind them is eying Lee with a funny look. Lee keeps his head low and tries to hide his blushing face from the crowd. Kankuro hasn't meant to embarrass him but he tends to go overboard with his teasing sometimes. He puts a hand on Lee's shoulder and gives him a comforting squeeze.

"It's cool," Kankuro says, "It's not a big deal."

"I am not like that," Lee mumbles.

"Yeah, sure. Let's go. The line is moving."

Kankuro ushers the younger boys up the line. They get behind the nosy couple again. Once they see the look on Kankuro's face, they stop turning around to bug them. Kankuro checks the time and groans. Even after the whole conversation, they are still at least an hour and a half away from the ride. Gaara and Lee may have the patience to wait for it but Kankuro is getting restless. Not to mention he only had a pear for breakfast and his stomach is starting to call for food. He isn't entirely too interested in the ride and figures he can probably get some food to eat while they wait. Lee is talking softly to Gaara. To the untrained eye, they can pass for a couple. Gaara isn't exactly listening and stares at the pavement. The hand holding Lee's hand has gone limped. It looks like their hands are still connected only because Lee is holding onto Gaara. Kankuro can tell there is a shift in the mood between his brother and Lee. Maybe the little outburst from Lee has bothered Gaara somehow. Kankuro snickers at the thought of his brother being jealous. He breaks out of his thought when he feels his phone vibrating in his pocket. He takes it out and turns around to answer the call.

"Hey!"

"I'm here. Where are you?" Temari says in a tired voice.

"Uh, waiting in line."

"Where?"

"Where are _you_? I'll come get you."

"I'm at the entrance. Just tell me where you are," Temari says a little frustrated.

"Stay there. I'm coming."

"Kanku-"

Kankuro hangs up the phone. He turns around and suppresses a cuss word slipping through his mouth. Lee is looking at him with a sad frown. He lets go of Gaara's hand and takes a step away.

"C'mon, Lee… Temari is a little bitchy but she isn't as bad as you think."

"I cannot stay. I do not wish to upset her."

"We'll just talk and figure this whole thing out. Come on."

"Thank you for inviting me. I am sorry I have to leave."

"Lee…! Hang on!"

Lee climbs on the bars and jumps over the fence. Kankuro considers going after him but he needs someone to watch Gaara, even if his little brother is completely stoic to the situation. Lee stays and waits for Kankuro to say something. His polite personality is giving Kankuro an advantage. Kankuro leans on the fence and waves for Lee to come back.

"You told me you want to be Gaara's friend."

"I do… sincerely."

"Then you gotta face up to Temari and tell her to her face that you aren't going anywhere. Lee, you're the first person outside the family that Gaara has ever been attached to. Do you know how big of a deal this is? It's probably freaking Temari out. Hell, it's even freaking me out a little but you know what, it's a good thing. Gaara needs a friend and dammit, we both want it to be you."

"I am flattered. Thank you for your kind words," Lee says, "But I am afraid Temari will never accept me."

"Just talk to her, dude. You gotta talk to her and let her know how much you care about Gaara."

Lee seems to consider Kankuro's words a bit. He takes a step back toward the queue and looks at Gaara with a longing gaze. Kankuro isn't exactly sure he likes the gaze Lee is giving Gaara but he is glad that Lee is assessing how important Gaara is. He knows that having a friend will dramatically change Gaara's life for the best. He wants Gaara to have a friend more than anything else right now.

"So you'll stay?"

"I…"

Kankuro glances behind Lee and can't hold his tongue. He lets out a muffled cuss word as he watches Temari heads toward the line. She doesn't see Lee initially but once she does – and it is obvious that she has – she picks up her pace and stomps next to Lee. Lee almost yelps when he sees Temari fuming next to him. He seems extra jumpy and frightened to see the oldest sister. Temari glares at Lee. For a minute, she looks like she wants to punch Lee in the face. Lee backs away from the line and the siblings. Temari goes after him like a hawk cornering a helpless rodent.

"What are you doing here?" Temari barks. She takes a sharp breathe and snarls, "Oh my god! Are you stalking Gaara? What the hell is your problem?"

"I-I am not stalking Gaara! I was invited."

The heat turns on Kankuro. He drops his head and groans inwardly. The couple and the Russian family, along with some other people, are watching the drama unfold. Kankuro takes a look at Gaara and sees that he is still fully intended on waiting in line. Gaara won't be going anywhere soon. Kankuro asks quickly for the nosy couple to watch Gaara before he leaps over the fence and hurries to his sister's side.

"You!" Temari hisses at her brother. "You just don't get it!"

"Look, we are all here, so let's just talk this out."

"I have nothing to say to him," Temari says, pointing at Lee's direction while her eyes glare intensely at Kankuro. "And you, I can't believe you would go through this just to hurt me."

"What am I doing wrong? We both know this is good for Gaara."

"Having a psycho for a friend is not good for Gaara!" Temari shouts. When she gets angry, her voice gets an octave higher. Her shrill attracts the attention of on-lookers but Kankuro knows that his sister never cares about what others think of her. She only gets sensitive when it comes to what people say about Gaara.

"Shut up about it!" Kankuro shouts back. "I happen to know that Lee's a great guy and you need to stop treating him like crap."

"Do you also happen to know that he lives in a home for children with disorders?"

"What!" Kankuro frowns. "What are you talking about?"

"There is something wrong with him!"

"There is nothing wrong with me!"

Kankuro and Temari are both surprised and shocked by the sudden outburst from Lee. He doesn't seem the kind to yell in public. Kankuro takes a low breath and licks his lips when he sees that Lee is crying. He really doesn't expect Lee to cry in public; somehow, he thinks Lee is stronger than that. Lee wipes his tears with his arm and takes a sharp, shaking breathe. He gulps and succeeds in calming himself. Temari looks a little guilty for making him cry but she keeps a dignified look, as if she has no responsibility to what is happening.

"I do not appreciate you treating me badly because you believe there is something 'wrong' with me."

"Yeah, exactly, Temari," Kankuro joins in. "A lot of people think there is something wrong with Gaara too but you always defend him. I don't get why you have to treat Lee that way."

"That's different. Gaara's different."

"What? What is it? What's the difference?"

"Gaara's my brother."

"So you're saying you only do it out of obligation."

"Don't twist my words. Gaara is different from that guy. He… He can't help himself."

"Alright, you tell me that there is something wrong with Lee, so what is it? What is 'wrong' with him?"

"I don't know exactly but I know he suffers from something."

"There!" Kankuro points at Temari. "There. You said it. He 'suffers' from something just like Gaara suffers from something, which means neither of them can help themselves. Now, I don't know how in the hell you find out that Lee lives in a home but I really don't give a shit because I've taken the time to get to know him and you know what, in term of personality, he's a much much better person than you are."

"Kankuro, I'm your s-"

"So," Kankuro cuts in, "before you go judging him, I think you should get off your fucking high horse and actually get to know him. Because you know what, just because you don't live in a special house doesn't mean you're automatically better than him. I don't know how high you're setting your standard but for me if he's taking the time to be nice to Gaara, he's cool in my book."

"Temari," Lee says as he walks over boldly. He bows his head and continues, "I truly wish to be Gaara's friend. I know you do not think highly of me but if you give me a chance, I can prove to you that I will not treat Gaara badly or differently, and that I am genuine with my concern for him. Please… Please allow me to be Gaara's friend."

Temari doesn't respond immediately, which means she is considering Lee's request, which means Lee may actually have a shot. Kankuro looks back quickly to make sure that Gaara is still in place. The couple, the Russian family, and many other people are all looking at their direction and collectively waiting for Temari's answer. Kankuro can feel the suffocating tension in the air and wishes Temari will make up her mind already. It isn't hard to say 'Yes, you may be Gaara's friend' but Temari is sure taking her sweet time. Meanwhile, Lee keeps his head bow as a sign of his determination. When two good minutes pass and Temari still hasn't given an answer, Kankuro feels the tide turning bad.

"Come on, Temari," Kankuro urges, "Give him a chance."

"Okay," Temari says slowly, "I will give you… one chance."

The tension in the air evaporates immediately and everyone around breathes again. Kankuro grins at the happy resolution. He takes a look back at Gaara to check up on him. The couple is talking excitedly to him even though he isn't listening. The Russian father, too, says something to Gaara. Gaara, however, looks more interest in the line than the outcome of Lee. Kankuro looks to his sister and gives her a nod of gratitude. He knows in his heart that Lee will be one of the best things to ever happen to Gaara. There isn't many people waiting to befriend his little brother, and they should all feel lucky that they have found Lee.

"T-thank you!" Lee exclaims happily. He rushes over to Temari and gives a quick bow. "Thank you! Thank you! I will not disappoint you! When Gaara moves in with us, I promise I will take excellent care of him."

"Hey, calm down, Lee," Kankuro shushes with a grin. "You are…"

Kankuro blinks. The grin on his face disappears as he tries to process in his head what Lee has just said. Lee covers his mouth with his hand and looks stunned. Temari is rubbing her temple and sounding a loud sigh. Kankuro alternates his glance between his sister and Lee. Neither of them is making eye contact with him. The spectators around them seem to grasp the news better and faster than Kankuro has. He squeezes his eyes shut to understand the situation but he can't. He just can't. He opens his eyes and stares at Temari with a grim look.

"What…?" Kankuro speaks quietly. "What does he mean 'move in with us'?"

"I'm moving Gaara into a home for special needs children."

Kankuro blinks again. He wears a dumbfound expression like the one he usually has during geometry class. He gapes and tries to find the right word to express his shock. He looks at Lee, who avoids his eyes and stares at the ground in a similar manner to Gaara. He looks at Temari; she meets him with a regretful look.

"What?" It's the only thing Kankuro can think of to say.

* * *

Authors Note: Temari and Kankuro have different level of knowledge and view on Gaara's condition, so you may notice that some characteristics of Gaara are inconsistent between Temari-centric and Kankuro-centric chapters.


	8. Chapter 8

"Why are you sending Gaara away?"

"I don't want to talk about it here," Temari answers, "Let's just… enjoy our day with Gaara and… we can talk about it later."

"Okay," Kankuro says breathlessly. "Okay."

Kankuro walks sluggishly back to the line. He hops over the bars and stands behind Gaara. The couple gives him a sympathetic look and the Russian family mutters amongst themselves. He can tell the pity from the tone of their heavy voices. He looks down at the top of his little brother's head. His whole world seems entirely different from a few minutes ago now that he has learned about his sister's decision. A fierce anger rises from the pit of his stomach. He has 'hated' his sister before for limiting his activities and scolding him for his wild ways but he has never meant it. It is all part of the sibling rivalry. But at the current moment, Kankuro hates Temari. He hates her so much that he is surprised at how well he is controlling himself. There is an overwhelming urge to jump on her and beat her to a blood pulp. He fists his hands and tries to take steady breaths to calm his pounding heart. He fidgets, shifting his weight between his feet. His fingers twitch impatiently. His teeth clench; the upper teeth grind against the lower ones. Nausea brings him great discomfort; he doesn't know if it's the hunger or the anger, he feels sick and he really wants to vomit.

Temari and Lee join them back in line. No one complains of them cutting in line. Lee takes a timid stand next to Gaara. Gaara, without looking, reaches over and clutches the older boy's hand tight. Kankuro narrows his eyes. Temari has said Gaara is different; thanks to her, for the first time ever, Kankuro can see how different. Gaara stands differently than most people; he is rigid but unsure, like he doesn't know if he's at the right place or not but he sure wants to act like he is. His eyes wander to everywhere but people's eyes. Lee is talking to him now and Gaara is only facing him at chin level, like Lee's eyes are glued on his chin. He keeps a certain distance – an invisible bubble – around himself. When the wife in front of him takes a step back, Gaara follows as well to reestablish the correct distance. Kankuro has a strange desire to hit himself for not noticing the subtle little things about his brother before. He has always, up until now, considered Gaara's expression as cool and stoic. But now that he has gotten a clearer look, he should rename it as cold and aloof. As they silently wait in the long line, with only Lee speaking softly to Gaara now and then, Kankuro catches on to how nervous Gaara is at the surrounding. Gaara looks very uncomfortable and he keeps looking around him, like he's keeping an eye out for any sudden attack. Kankuro doesn't like the paranoid behavior. Gaara is supposed to like going to new places. But Kankuro can understand a little better now why Gaara is clutching Lee's hand for dear life; he is scared. The crowd and the noises around him are scaring him but he is trying very hard not to let it get to him. He sees how hard and tight his little brother is gripping Lee; it's almost possessively, like he is daring someone to try to yank the black-haired teen away. Kankuro groans inwardly and squeezes his eyes close. He doesn't like the new things he is finding out about his brother. He likes the Gaara he knew a while ago better than the one standing in front of him. The Gaara in front of him, with his erratic behaviors, is breaking at his heart. He has always acknowledged that Gaara suffers from a disorder, but it is the first time he has ever seen how out of order Gaara is.

Kankuro keeps his eyes glued to the pavement and the people around him. He doesn't say a word to Temari or Lee. He doesn't even want to be here right now. He wants to have fun with Gaara but he can't set his mind on having a good time when all he can think about is how he is going to lose his brother in a matter of days. He can't believe Temari has been hiding such a big decision from him. But he can understand why she doesn't want him to know so soon. Kankuro is a relatively happy-go-lucky person and doesn't get upset easily. Because of that, he doesn't know how to deal with the burning pain jabbing below his ribcage. He feels like he is having a bad heartburn. He knows though there isn't a pill he can take to make the discomfort go away. Lost in his thought, the hour-wait passes by quickly. When he comes to it, they are boarding the submarine. Gaara snatches the window seat and stares eagerly out of it. Lee gets next to him. Thorough the ride, he explains little things to Gaara.

"The orange one is called a clown fish," Lee whispers to Gaara, pointing at the window.

Kankuro clenches his teeth. He is sure that Gaara knows what a clown fish is and he dislikes the way Lee acts like he is speaking to a five-year-old. He wants to yell at the black-haired teen to stop explaining everything because Gaara is smarter than he thinks. But he stays quiet and listens to the recorded tour guide plays through the speakers. Temari sits next to him, staring at the bottom of the submarine. He avoids eye-contact with her and looks around the ride at the other families and their children. He knows asking the question is only going to bring his mood down even more but he can't stop himself. Why Gaara? he wonders. Of all the people in the world, why did Gaara have to be the one? Hasn't their family be struck with enough tragedy already? What have they done to suffer such horrible fate? Kankuro brings his head down and supports it with his palms. He hates how helpless he feels. He hates that there is nothing that can cure Gaara. He hates that his brother has to go through his entire life being looked at and treated differently. He hates that, and to use Temari's term, he hates that Gaara isn't normal.

When the ride is over and they are back on land, they stand awkwardly near the exit. Kankuro has no plan of spending any more time at the theme park. Temari insists, a little tearfully, that they should have fun. Kankuro loses the ability to have fun the moment he finds out about the dire news. He tries to put on a good attitude for Gaara's sake because he knows Gaara has no idea what is about to happen to him. He doesn't even want to think about how Gaara is going to react. The only time that Gaara is away from the family is during school and that is only a few hours a day. He can't imagine how Gaara can adjust to not seeing his siblings for days, weeks, months, - and he prays that it won't be the case - years. He also wonders how he is going to adjust to not seeing Gaara for a long period of time. It's going to be weird without Gaara at home.

Lee is the one who takes the lead and guides Gaara around the theme park for something he wants to do. Besides the submarine ride, there isn't much that Gaara is interested in. Kankuro figures he should've taken Gaara to an aquarium instead; his brother will probably have more fun. The walk through the park makes Gaara fussy. He walks slower and refuses to walk in certain direction. When the parade passes in front of them and Gaara freaks out at the loud music and the marching floats, they realize it's time to leave the 'Happiest Place on Earth' behind and return to real life. They head for the exit and ride silently on the cab back to the hotel. Lee tags along for the ride. Temari sits in the front and the three boys sit in the back. Gaara glances out the window, looking at the passing trees. His hand has abandoned holding Lee's.

Temari doesn't Gaara to hear the conversation she is about to have with Kankuro. She entrusts Gaara to Lee and sends them away from the hotel room. Temari takes a seat on the couch and heaves a loud sigh. Kankuro sits on the edge of the bed and waits anxiously. If she doesn't start talking soon, Kankuro is going to his mind. The hotel room feels stuffy and hot. He looks behind at Gaara's teddy bear and how it is guarding the bed from the hands of the housekeeper. He looks back at Temari, who is crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back on the couch. He looks down at the carpet and matches Temari's sigh.

"Are we going to talk or not?"

"I was going to tell you today," Temari says, "I didn't want you to find out the way you did."

"Were you waiting until Gaara's all settled in before you tell me?"

"I knew you wouldn't take the news well so I thought I should wait."

"How could you?" Kankuro asks bitterly. "How could you send Gaara away? He is our brother. I don't care how much trouble he is, you can't just throw him away."

"The facility will be good for him. He'll have professionals to look after him."

"We couldn't do that ourselves? I mean, if you need help, we can't hire a… nurse or something?"

"It's not that simple," Temari says. "There is so much… I don't even know where to start." She pushes a stray bang out of her face and breathes out of her mouth. She looks up at the ceiling to avoid the intense stare from Kankuro.

"Spit it," Kankuro says, "I hate it when you go around in circles."

"Gaara got expelled from school."

Kankuro frowns and tries to process the information. Gaara goes to a regular middle school but doesn't attend regular classes. Now that he thinks about it, he has never seen Gaara does homework or school projects or basically anything that Kankuro is required to do. He doesn't remember hearing anything about Gaara's school behavior that will warrant expulsion.

"What do you mean he got expelled? How?"

"It was two weeks ago. Gaara attacked his teacher in the middle of the class. He… pinned him down and broke his nose. The teacher next door had to drag him away."

Kankuro bites his lips. He knows Gaara can be a little feisty but he doesn't expect him to full-on attack someone. But he remembers how he attacked Lee in the Chinese restaurant and starts to understand his little brother a little better.

"That's… that's part of his condition, isn't it?"

"No," Temari answers frustratingly. She rubs her temple and explains, "It has nothing to do with that. Gaara is just… he is just a violent person. He likes to fight and… he likes to hurt other people. It's just who he is. He only cares about himself."

"That's not Gaara."

"Yes, it is. I know you love him, we both do, but sometimes…" She takes a breath and looks at Kankuro. He doesn't like the look; it's the 'big sister laying down the truth' look. "I know you want to protect him and you see him in a different light than what people see and that is… really nice and wonderful but, Kankuro, you have to understand this… Gaara is not like you and me. I know you don't like me saying that but that's the truth. He… he isn't as amazing as you think he is."

"I can't believe you're saying that," Kankuro says with a trace of anger. "Gaara's our brother."

"I know you think of him very highly and that's good but Gaara isn't… the genius you make him out to be." She points at the Lego tower Gaara made last night and says, "You think it's amazing that he made that but you know… everyone can do that. We can do that. And the other things he built at home aren't anything special. They are just… boxes and shapes, and I know you want to encourage him but you have to see that he doesn't have a special ability. If anything," she pauses and chews her lips. "If anything… Gaara is retarded."

"Gaara's not a fucking retard," Kankuro scowls. "He is really smart and he can do a lot of things. H-he can count…"

"He can count to a 100 then he doesn't know what comes after that. He can't add or subtract, let alone do complicated math. He doesn't understand that 100 plus one is 101. He just doesn't get it. And… he can't write. He can barely read and he jumbles it up and makes up his own meaning. He knows… five colors at best. Yes, he is a little smarter than other people with his condition but he can't function on his own. He doesn't how to interact. He understands so little of the spectrum of human emotions. He knows what it means to be happy… and sad… angry and scared and that's about it. He has no sense of remorse and-"

"Shut up," Kankuro mumbles.

"Kankuro, you have to understand…"

"I said shut up!"

Temari presses her mouth close. Kankuro drops his head and stares down at the carpet. He grips his jeans and hisses a sharp breath. He stomps his foot hard on the floor and slams his fists on his thighs.

"I don't believe you," he mutters, "I don't fucking believe you."

"I just want you to know that it's not entirely my decision to send Gaara away."

"Oh yeah? Then whose decision is it?"

"It's Dad's," Temari answers. "You don't know this but… he made a deal with me before he left us. Gaara can stay and not be committed to a mental institution as long as he doesn't lay a hand on someone. When he attacked his teacher, the principal called Dad. That's how I found about it actually. Since that happened... the deal is off and Gaara has to go."

"And you are just listening to him?"

"He's going to stop sending us money if Gaara doesn't go. Let me tell you, I would much rather have Gaara safe in a home than be living on the street because I can't support all three of us."

"B-but… that's going to cost more money."

"He's willing to pay for it," Temari says, her voice breaking up. "What more can I ask? Gaara is going to be provided for. And, this is going to sound selfish, but I'll have more time to myself and I can go to school full-time."

"So that's how it is. I thought we were supposed to stick together but you're falling for the bastard's money."

"This isn't going to be permanent thing. As soon as I have the money saved up, I'm going to get Gaara back."

"How long will that take? I mean, after college, you're going to want to get your other degree and that's, like, six years from on."

"It's not going to be like that. We're going to have Gaara back very soon and I need you to support me on this, Kankuro. I need you to help me."

"Are we… allowed to visit Gaara?"

"Yes, of course. Anytime we want, we can go see him."

"Okay," Kankuro says softly. "Okay."

Temari brings a hand over her mouth as tears run down her cheeks. She sniffs loudly and breathes out of her mouth. She grabs a tissue from the box and wipes her nose. Kankuro is a little stronger and more in control of his emotion, but he can feel the sting in his eyes. He sandwiches his nose with his fingers and breathes into his palms. He gets up from the bed and heads for the door. He needs to see Gaara.

"Wait," Temari calls through her breaking voice. She says something she rarely says, "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," he says, and leaves the room.

Kankuro wanders down to the beach and finds Gaara and Lee by the water. He watches them from afar and sees that Lee is lying on a beach towel while Gaara is sitting cross-legged. He takes his time to get over to the younger boys. He goes over the conversation he just had with his sister. His vacation has just been ruined completely. He walks through the sand, feeling the grains exfoliate the skin on his feet. His hands tuck deep in the pocket of his shorts. He ignores the sting when he steps on a broken shell. Gaara has a pair of headphones plugged in his ears. His hands grip tightly an mp3 player, which Kankuro assumes belongs to Lee. Lee is sleeping on the towel, facing the other way. Kankuro groans; Lee is supposed to be watching Gaara and not sleeping on the beach. Gaara stares attentively at the music player. His mouth repeats quietly along with the song he is listening.

"_I try and try to understand_..." Gaara whispers softly. "… _the love I feel and the things I fear_…"

Kankuro sits down on the sand next to Gaara. He watches his little brother finishing singing along with the song. He figures Gaara must have heard the song a few times already for him to pick up the lyrics. He reminds himself to tell Temari about Gaara's ability to repeat what he's heard. Then again, Kankuro can repeat what he has heard too. He stares out at the ocean and watches the waves rocking toward the shore. The sky is extra blue today. He wonders if Gaara knows what blue is or the seagulls soaring through the clouds. He wonders if he knows clouds. He wonders if Gaara wonders where the sun goes when night comes; maybe he doesn't even notice the difference between day and night. He looks back at his brother and suddenly feels very uneasy around him. After all the new information he's learned, Kankuro isn't sure he knows how to talk to his brother anymore. He always used to think that Gaara understands clearly everything he says to him. Now, Kankuro finds himself wanting to use baby language. He can see why Lee talks to Gaara like he is a five-year-old. He reaches over and pulls out the headphones from Gaara's ears.

"Hey, bro, we gotta talk."

Gaara stares at the white cords connecting the headphones.

"C'mon, Gaara, I know you can hear me."

Gaara moves his stare to the music player. He looks at it like it's the most interesting thing in the world.

"Don't ignore me."

Gaara just keeps staring at the player. He plays with the buttons and tries to get a reaction out of the device.

"Please don't ignore me…"

Kankuro grabs the music player. Gaara follows it until he looks up at Kankuro's neck. He looks down again and stares at the beach towel underneath him instead. He looks up once to look at the ocean but finds the beach towel to be more interesting.

"You're… going to go away for a while," Kankuro says. "And this new place is gonna be a lot of fun for you. You'll have new toys… and a new bed and probably a lot of other new things too. This place is probably going to be big but I'm not worried 'cause I know you can't get lost. But if you do, don't get scared. Stay calm and you'll find your way out. So just stay calm."

Kankuro wonders why he is giving Gaara a prep talk. His brother is paying more attending to the motionless towel than him. He ruffles Gaara's hair and puts a gentle hand on his shoulder. He is glad Gaara isn't bothered by his touch.

"And… there is probably going to be girls there and you have to be nice to the girls. You gotta always treat a lady right. If she giggles a lot, it means she digs you but don't do that whole teasing thing. If you like her, just tell her. Don't play games. Get her something nice. Flowers or chocolate… but you probably won't share your chocolate, huh. Show her your Legos or something. And don't you ever hit her. A woman is for you to love and spoil."

Kankuro grins half-heartedly to himself. Gaara probably won't take a romantic interest in anyone for a long while. Temari is right about Gaara living in his own whole and caring only about himself. He doesn't think his brother is a selfish person; Gaara just likes to put himself first, which is a very natural and human thing to do. He thinks back to what Temari says and wonders if his brother knows what love is. He wants to know, just like Temari, if Gaara loves them. He knows in his heart that he does love them even if he doesn't understand what 'love' entails. Maybe it's one of those emotions that he understands but can't express.

Kankuro scoots a little closer until their knees touch. Gaara shudders slightly and hangs his head low. Kankuro studies the look on his face and tries to figure out what that particular expression means. He will swear on his life that Gaara looks like he is about to cry.

"You understand what I'm saying, right?"

Gaara lifts his head up and glances at the ocean. Kankuro notices how calm the water is today as well. Gaara seems to like that. He figures Gaara will have more opportunity to visit the beach once he starts living here.

"If…" Kankuro pauses. He clears his throat and tries to swallow the lump. "If it's up to me, I'll never send you away. I don't want you to go."

Gaara looks away from the ocean and stares up at Kankuro. He makes eye-contact long enough to say – or echo, Kankuro isn't sure what it is, "Don't send Gaara away."

Kankuro pulls Gaara's head toward his face. He buries his nose and mouth in the thick red hair and breathes in the tropical scented shampoo that Gaara likes to use. He tries hard to hold it in but a rebel tear finds its way out of his tear duct.

"I don't want to," Kankuro mumbles into Gaara's hair. He pulls away so he doesn't drip his snot on Gaar's hair. He ruffles his hair and says, "Promise me you'll behave and play nice with the other kids."

"Yosh," Gaara mutters to the beach towel, sticking his thumb up.

"That's a good boy."

"Gaara is a good boy."

Kankuro lets him go. He picks up the music player and throws it at Lee. Lee jerks and sits up straight, looking left and right frantically. He is embarrassed when he sees Kankuro shaking a finger at him.

"I thought you were supposed to watch Gaara," Kankuro teases with a playful grin.

"I am sorry… I will not fall asleep next time. I promise!"

"Take care of him for me," Kankuro says softly.

"I will definitely. Please leave him to me."

Kankuro looks out at the ocean again. An idea hits him and he stands up. He extends a hand down to Gaara with a mischievous smile.

"Let's go swimming!"

Gaara seems to like the idea. He gets up, a little wobbly, and reaches to take off his pants. Kankuro stops him with a 'no-no'.

"We don't have your shorts so you're gonna have to go in with those. Now take off your shoes."

Gaara obeys. He sits down again and unties his shoes and takes off his socks. He puts his socks into his shoes and stands back up again. Kankuro takes off his t-shirt and throws it on the beach towel. Gaara imitates and unbuttons his shirt. He folds it and puts it neatly on the towel next to Lee.

"You ready?"

"Ready," Gaara mutters.

Kankuro runs into the water and quivers at how cold it is. Gaara chases after him. He makes a small whine when the water hits his exposed chest. Kankuro bends down and splashes water on his little brother. Gaara stands still and lets Kankuro wet him.

"Come here. Come with me," Kankuro says.

Gaara stumbles over to his brother's side. He keeps a little space between them but follows Kankuro deeper into the ocean. Kankuro leads Gaara in until the water level hits the younger one's shoulders. He turns around and sees Lee standing near the shore and watching them. He gives Lee a thumb-up to tell him that they are doing fine. He turns to Gaara, who stares at the water surface with fascination.

"Let's try to find some fish."

Gaara starts to walk without waiting. The water reaches his chin but he keeps walking. Kankuro doesn't think he has learned his lesson from last time. Just before the water covers Gaara's nose, Kankuro gets behind him and wraps his hands on his waist. He lifts his brother up and out of the water. Gaara looks out at the endless water and points toward the horizon. Kankuro adjusts him so he is carrying his brother instead of lifting him. He scoots one hand under Gaara's thigh and the other on his back to secure a good hold. The younger brother keeps his head toward the horizon and his finger pointing. His free hand rests casually on Kankuro's shoulder.

"Hang on tight."

"Fish," Gaara mumbles.

Kankuro takes steady steps into the ocean. The water slowly ascends his body. He stops when it reaches just a little below his shoulders. He turns sideway so Gaara can stare at the horizon without twisting his head. His body has adjusted to the temperature and the water feels just right. Gaara kicks a little once they stop moving.

"Shh, bro, look," Kankuro says. He moves his hand from Gaara's back and points at the water surface.

Gaara follows the finger and looks down. A few tiny fish wiggles around them. Gaara reaches down and tries to catch them. As soon as his hand penetrates the water, the fish flees. He waves his hand in the water, trying to find the fish.

"Look, they're over there."

Gaara tosses his head behind him. He squirms from Kankuro's arms and reaches into the water with both hands. Kankuro has to grab on to his chest to prevent Gaara from slamming face-down in the water. The tiny little fish, Kankuro doesn't know what they are, dance out of Gaara's reach. Gaara bounces up and down, and Kankuro takes it a hint to chase after the elusive fish. Kankuro strides back and forth in the salt water chasing after fish until Gaara actually manages to scoop one out of the water. Gaara holds the small fish in his palms. It thrashes frantically, gasping for air. Gaara stares at the dying fish intensely with a mesmerized look. It's the first time he has ever touched a fish.

"You gotta let it go or it'll die," Kankuro says.

Gaara doesn't react. He keeps a scrutinizing gaze on the fish. The fish stops moving as hard. Kankuro has to step in and pull Gaara's hands apart so the fish can flop back into the water. Gaara watches the fish swim away from them. He looks up at Kankuro's chin.

"Fish," Gaara mumbles sadly.

Kankuro scoots Gaara up and turns back toward the shore. He can see Temari and Lee standing in the distance. He looks at his brother, whose eyes are fixated on the water. He knows why Gaara didn't let the fish go. He combs his finger through the damp red hair and feels Gaara resting his chin on his shoulder. He knows why now it's a good idea to send him to a facility.

The original plan for Thursday is to spend it as much as possible with Gaara and do as many as they can. But somewhere along the line, the plan didn't work out, and Kankuro ends up eating a pint of gelato with Gaara in the hotel room. After eating half a pint of the frozen treat, Gaara gets a horrible stomach ache and refuses to go anywhere. He crawls into a ball and rocks himself back and forth on the bed. Kankuro's attempt to get Gaara out of the ball is met with an angry whine. He gives up and decides that it isn't a bad idea to just do nothing with Gaara. He jumps on the bed and turns the television on. If he tries too hard to make the day different, it'll only remind him that tomorrow is the day they are admitting Gaara. Temari has told him more about the home and Kankuro feels it is a good place for Gaara to be. He is going to miss his brother a lot.

Gaara comes out of his tantrum an hour later. He looks around the room and finds the notepad on the bed stand. He lies on his stomach on the bed and starts to scribble on the pad. Kankuro peeks over, eager to see what Gaara is writing. He feels a pang in his chest when he sees that Gaara isn't holding the pen properly and he is only drawing squiggly lines and spirals. Gaara flips to the next page and stares at the blank page. He wraps his fingers around the pen. Kankuro looks at the pad and his chest aches again, but it is a good kind of ache. Gaara is writing shakily his name on the paper. Kankuro reminds himself to save the page and show it to Temari later to prove that Gaara can indeed write, even if it's just his own name and his writing is barely legible. He lies on his side and watches with a smile as Gaara fills up the rest of the page with his own name. Sleepiness comes over him and he lets out a yawn. He blinks his eyes and drifts off to sleep before he even knows it.

When he wakes up, Kankuro can't believe his reflection in the mirror. Someone – probably Gaara since he is the only one in the room – has picked up Temari's lipstick and drawn all over his face. He stares at the plum lipstick on his face. His first instinct is to run out of the bathroom and finds Gaara, who is staring at the television screen and watching his cartoon.

"You little brat!" Kankuro yells, pointing a mean finger at Gaara. "Why did you do this for?"

Gaara can't pry his eyes away from the screen. Instead of giving an explanation, he mouths along with the dialogue. Kankuro throws his arms over his chest and stomps over next to Gaara. He finds the lipstick next to Gaara's foot. The note pad is on the other side of him and Kankuro can see thick plum squiggly lines. Kankuro reaches over for the lipstick and sees how little of it is left. Temari is going to be very sore when she sees what Gaara has done to her lipstick. With a mischievous grin, Kankuro presses the lipstick on Gaara's cheek and starts to draw all over his face. Since he is in a complete trance when he is watching his cartoon, Gaara doesn't budge an inch as Kankuro marks his face.

Kankuro laughs raucously at his finished product. The laugh dies down quickly when he notices that Gaara isn't laughing along, even though the cartoon is over already. He wonders if Gaara understands humor and knows when to laugh at something funny. He knows Gaara knows how to laugh since sometimes he randomly bursts out in laughers. Kankuro sighs and ruffles Gaara's hair. He gets up and washes his face in the bathroom. Once he is finished with himself, he wets a towel and helps clean Gaara's face. Gaara squirms a few times as he tries to clean him up. Kankuro sighs and tosses the towel on the carpet.

"I'm going to miss you, little bro," Kankuro says, running his fingers through Gaara's hair.

Gaara stares at Kankuro's stomach and doesn't make a sound.

"This is everything we have with us. I'll send over the rest of his things by next week."

Temari hands the luggage over to one of the caretakers. Iruka instructs the caretaker to take the luggage upstairs to Gaara's new room. He looks back at Temari with a soft smile. Temari unzips the bag she is holding.

"And if he gets really out of hand, give him this and he'll usually settle down," Temari says, handing over a personal DVD player and a DVD collection.

"I'll be sure to," Iruka says with a warm smile.

"So… this is it. That's everything…"

Kankuro looks into the living room. Gaara sits on the couch, staring at everything around him. He finds out that Gaara has already been here once since the 'museum trip' was a lie as well as the 'pancake house'. He should be angrier but he can't really feel anything other than sadness. He is at least happy to know that Gaara doesn't mind the new place too much and hasn't thrown a tantrum.

"And Dad's already sent the check… So… is there anything else…?"

"No, I think we are good to go," Iruka says. He puts a hand on Temari's shoulder. "I know this is difficult but don't think of it a good-bye."

"I know… It's just…" Temari takes a deep breath. "Nevermind… We should get going soon. I don't want Gaara to see us leave."

"It's five," Kankuro says, glancing at the clock nailed on the wall.

Right on cue, Gaara gets off the couch and walks to the television. He takes a few seconds to figure how to work the television. He turns it on but it isn't on the right channel. When he can't find the button to change the channel, he makes a soft whining sound. Temari draws in a gasp of air and looks away from the living room. She presses her fingers hard against her lips. She looks behind Iruka and squints.

"You," Temari says.

Kankuro looks away from the living room and sees Lee standing by the staircase. The black-haired teen hesitantly walks over and greets them with a timid smile. He shyly looks up at Temari, like she is going to hit him at any moment. Temari brings her hand down.

"What are you doing here?" Temari says, a little rudely. "Go inside and play with Gaara already."

"O-oh! Yosh! I will," Lee stammers. He hurries into the living room. Gaara is getting a little more upset as more time passes. Lee grabs the remote off the coffee table and changes it to the right channel. He sits down on the floor and waits for Gaara to join him. Instead of getting down next to him, Gaara sits on Lee as if the older boy is a chair. Lee doesn't mind it though. He wraps his arms around Gaara's waist and puts his chin on his shoulder. He points at the television screen and explains things softly to Gaara.

"We're going to go now," Temari says. As soon as she finishes the sentence, she breaks into tears. She covers the lower half of her face with her hand and turns away.

"Thanks," Kankuro says to Iruka, and shakes his hand. He puts both hands on Temari's shoulder and walks next to her out of the house.

"Come visit soon!" Iruka waves at the door.

Kankuro helps Temari into the cab. Their flight leaves in two hours and they are going straight to the airport now. Kankuro stares out the window and watches the faint flash of the TV behind the lace curtain. He hates to leave without saying good-bye to Gaara but as Iruka has said, this isn't a good-bye. He wonders how Gaara is going to react once the cartoon is over and he can't find his siblings. He wonders if he'll notice they're gone and throw a fit. He really hopes Gaara throws a giant fit because that's how he'll know that their little brother does care deeply for them. He looks over at Temari, who is sniffling quietly and wiping her nose. He rubs her arm gently.

"It's alright," he says. "You know I hate it when you cry. C'mon, Gaara's going to be okay."

"I know," Temari answers. She dabs a tissue under her eyes and repeats, "I know…"

Kankuro leans back on the seat and lets out a tired sigh. Gaara is in good hands now, and he should be relieved. But he can't fight the horrible separation anxiety. He chuckles softly to himself and rubs his stinging eyes. He always thought that Gaara is the one who needs them. He never realizes how much they need Gaara as well. He presses the back of his head on the headrest and stares up at the car ceiling. He closes his eyes at the rocking of the cab driving on the freeway. If he concentrates hard, he can hear Gaara's soft singing in his head. He opens his eyes again and watches the beach city disappear behind them. The sun is setting in front of them. The sky glows in salmon and fuchsia with dabbles of red clouds. The scene reminds him of Gaara. He licks his lips and tries not to think about it anymore. It doesn't matter that they're leaving the city now.

He knows they'll be reunited soon and be a family again.

**THE END.**

* * *

Authors Note: There will still be two epilogues which will be Lee-centric and Kankuro-centric. Thank you for reading this far.


	9. Epilogue 1

Lee knows it isn't going to be easy. As soon as the cartoon is over, Gaara looks around the unfamiliar living room with a look of distress. The younger boy stands up and makes his way around the house. Lee doesn't think Gaara knows it will be his new home yet. He follows him out of the living room and keeps a close distance behind as Gaara explores the new environment. They walk by the family room where some of the other residents are playing a game of monopoly. Gaara lingers at the doorway, not really interested by the game but more curious about the new people. He moves out of sight quickly when one of the children looks up and stares at him. Gaara wanders to the kitchen and the dining room. Lee can tell he doesn't like the new place. He walks behind as Gaara returns to the hallway and heads for the front door. He opens the door and pokes his head. The front door gate catches him by surprise. Gaara fumbles with the lock but can't find a way to unlock the gate. He slips his fingers through the small gaps. He grips it tight and rattles the gate, letting out a loud whine when it refuses to give in.

"Kankuro!" Gaara shrieks, shaking the gate with all of his weight. "Kankuro!"

"Gaara, please calm down," Lee hushes behind him. "Your sister and brother will be back soon."

"Kankuro!" The redhead bellows. He pulls on the gate hard and slips. He falls on his butt and stares up at the barrier. He looks around him and when he can't find his brother, he shouts, "Temari? Temari!"

"Let me help you up," Lee says, getting down next to Gaara. He gently wraps his hands on Gaara's shoulder.

Gaara shrills and flails his arms. He smacks Lee in the chin before he crawls away on his knees. He hides in the one place that he is familiar with: the living room. Lee rubs his chin as he hurries into the living room to find Gaara hiding in the gap between the wall and the couch. He has pulled himself into a ball and is rocking back and forth with his head between his legs and his hands clasped on his ears. Lee kneels next to him and softly puts his hand on Gaara's head.

"I know it is difficult," Lee says softly, "but you will get used to it soon."

Lee decides that it is a good idea to leave Gaara alone to his thoughts. He leaves the living room and walks upstairs to inform Iruka of Gaara's situation. Iruka, too, agrees it's best to let Gaara adjust to the new environment without agitating him. Lee then spends his time reading the instruction Temari has left. There is a long list of habits that Gaara has and Lee tries his best to memorize all of them. He finds a spare comforter and folds it in half and puts it on Gaara's pillow. He puts the teddy bear on the comforter just like the way Gaara likes it. He helps clear out of the drawers and unloads the clothes Gaara has with him. He makes sure to stack them in different piles and not touching the other pile. He removes everything that is pink in the room, which fortunately there isn't a lot. He switches off the alarm clock since Gaara gets startled by alarms. He puts the Tupperware box of Lego on the desk so Gaara can play with it when he wants. He also looks for some other toys that Gaara can play with once he is feeling more comfortable. He finds a box of domino blocks. He spends a good half hour separating the blocks by their colors so Gaara will play with them.

It is close to dinner time by the time Lee is finished setting up the room. He is excited to share a room with Gaara and is looking forward to how things will play out. He walks downstairs and goes to the living room. Gaara hasn't moved from his hiding spot but he has stopped rocking. Lee paces over and kneels next to Gaara. He smiles brightly at the distraught redhead.

"Are you hungry? It is almost dinner time," Lee says. "Friday is pasta and soup night! Mr. Umino makes the best chicken noodle soup."

Gaara doesn't respond. His eyes stare dully at his bare toes. Lee keeps his bright smile and starts a one-sided conversation with Gaara. He talks about the other children in the home. He talks about the caretakers. He talks about the activities that they do together and how fun they are. Gaara isn't in the least bit interested. Only his toes seem to exist in his world right now. When it is time to eat, Lee can't get Gaara to join them at the table. So instead, he grabs a tray and buses them to the living room with Iruka's permission. He sets down the food in front of them and picks up his bowl of soup and slurps it happily. Lee finishes his soup quickly, trying to show Gaara how delicious it is. Gaara stares at his dinner blankly. Lee watches without a clue until he remembers the list. He hurries upstairs to snatch it from the desk and read through it to find something about Gaara's eating habit. He takes the list downstairs with him and walks into the kitchen to find an extra plate. He gets a new plate of pasta for Gaara and leaves out the sauce. He carries the new plate to the living room and hands it over. Gaara takes the plate and eats it greedily. Lee doesn't want to go through the process of separating the liquid broth from the chicken and the noodle so he figures Gaara will probably not mind it if he doesn't get his soup.

"Do not worry," Lee says as he watches Gaara eats, "I am here for you."

It takes half of the week before Gaara starts to get accustomed to his new home and not having his siblings around. Even then, Gaara won't look at the other children or play with them. He only acknowledges Iruka and not the other caretakers. He refuses to be touched by anyone other than Lee. He sometimes throws a tantrum without any apparent reason. Other times, he crouches into a ball and cries softly, wanting his sister and his brother to be there. It is at times like those that Lee will get the chance to prove himself to Gaara. Aside from his one-hour therapy session with Iruka, Lee is free to do whatever he wants during his time at the home. He spends nearly all of his free time shadowing Gaara. He knows that what Gaara needs the most right now is a supportive friend to help him through the hard time. Lee reads up on Gaara's condition and tries his best to accommodate his new friend and roommate. He tries not to let Gaara adhere to a strict routine since the redhead doesn't break out of them easily. But it is a difficult task since the home follows a rather rigid schedule. Lee tries to mix up the food that Gaara eats so he won't expect to eat the same food the same day next week. But there is only so much he can do with he is given. In addition to the weekly meal schedule, the home also gives Gaara a daily schedule to obey. Gaara wakes up every day at 10. Breakfast is served at 10:30. After breakfast, he has free time until it's time for class. At 12:30, lunch is served. After lunch, it's free time again until 2, when it's time for another class. At 3, it's his daily session with Iruka then he is off for the day. At 5, it's time for his cartoon. At 6, it's time for his shower. Dinner is served at 7. Group activity time is right after dinner. Bedtime is set at 9:30; light out by 10. The schedule for weekend is slightly different but sticks to the general time frame. For someone with Gaara's condition, the daily schedule becomes essential for him to function. When it's 9:30, Gaara drops everything he is doing and gets ready for bed. If someone – mainly Lee – isn't helping him get ready and if he isn't in bed by 9:45, Gaara gets restless. Some nights, he doesn't even try to sleep and stays up all night wandering the house. On those nights, there is nothing anyone can do, short from knocking him out, to get Gaara to go to bed.

Since Lee is an outpatient, he is allowed more free time than the inpatients. And since he is like to stick around Gaara, he adopts Gaara's schedule to his own. When it's time for Gaara's math class, Lee sits next to him and works on the homework that his school teachers give him. He knows that it helps Gaara's morale if he is there beside him. And he knows Gaara wants to learn and tries very hard. The younger boy just gets a little frustrated when he can't understand the subject and most people give up on him. In their free time, Lee likes to help Gaara to read or watches him play with his blocks.

"The sun did not shine," Lee says, pointing at each word as he goes along.

Gaara stares at the colorful picture instead of the bold-printed words. He reaches for the picture book and tries to flip to the next page but Lee won't let him. Lee holds down the book firmly and points at the words as he repeats them. Gaara keeps his hands to himself and stares off at the drawer instead of the book. Lee nudges him playfully and grins. Gaara doesn't meet his eyes but he does bring himself back to the book.

"The sun shines," Gaara mumbles.

"The sun did not shine," Lee says, emphasizing the words Gaara missed.

"Shine," the redhead mutters. "The sun shines."

"Did not," Lee repeats, pointing at the words.

"Did not," Gaara echoes. "The sun… did… shine not."

"Good job, Gaara!" Lee gives a gentle pat on Gaara's hair and smiles eagerly.

Gaara yanks the book out of Lee's hands and flips to the next pages, staring at the pictures. He is obviously more interested in the pictures than the words but Lee figures taking baby steps with Gaara doesn't hurt. When Gaara is done looking at the pictures, he puts down the book and resumes to looking around for something to capture his attention.

"Do you want to play on the swings?"

Gaara gives a cautious nod. Lee gets up and helps Gaara up as well. He guides him to the backyard, all the while Gaara is latching tight on his hand. He has learned in the past week that Gaara can get very possessive and clingy. Not that he minds the attention he is getting but sometimes it can be overbearing. Not to mention the humidity makes their palms very sweaty. He walks Gaara to the swings and seats him down.

"Hang on to the chains," Lee instructs, helping Gaara to grab the chains. "I am going to push you from behind."

Lee grabs on to the chains and pulls the swing backward. He starts it out in a gentle swinging motion to help Gaara get used to it. When Gaara doesn't react negatively, Lee increases the motion. Soon, the wind is whistling through Gaara's hair and his feet are kicking into the air instead of the ground. Gaara looks like he is enjoying the new view he can get from the seat. Lee watches him with a smile and uses control pushes. He doesn't realize that the seat is swinging higher and faster until it is too late. He gives a push that is just a tad bit too hard. As the seat swings tosses Gaara up in the air, Gaara freaks out. He screams loudly and lets go of the chains. He leaps out of the seat in mid-air and lands hard on the ground. Lee gasps in horror as he runs next to Gaara. The redhead is insensitive to pain but it doesn't mean he doesn't get hurt. Even though the ground is padded with foam, Gaara still gets a nasty burn from contact. His elbow swells red. A patch of skin is rubbed off by the mat. Lee grits his teeth and drops his head in shame. Gaara doesn't even seem to notice his injury. He is more concerned about the pendulum swing behind him that is threatening to hit his head. He cowers and throws his arms over his head.

"I am sorry," Lee says. "We should go back inside."

Lee helps Gaara up and leads him back inside the house. He takes Gaara back to their room and sits him on the bed. He goes to the bathroom and gets the first aid kit. He knows the injury isn't serious but he can't stop the horrible feeling of guilt from striking him. He kneels down in front of Gaara and checks the scraped skin. He dabs a bit of rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and tries to cleanse Gaara's wound. Gaara squirms at the burning sensation and emits a low whine.

"I know it hurts but if we leave it be, it can get infected," Lee explains, "So please try to tolerate it."

He dabs the ball on Gaara's elbow. Gaara fidgets, shrugging his shoulders and tossing his head uncomfortably. Lee throws the ball aside and takes out a small bandage. He shows the bandage to Gaara, which has the cartoon character that Gaara likes. He sticks the bandage over the elbow.

"There! That was not so bad, was it?"

Gaara studies the bandage and tries to peel it off. Lee asks him softly not to, and Gaara obeys and leaves it be. He cleans up after himself and takes the kit back into the bathroom. When he returns, Gaara is sitting down on the floor and playing with the red domino pieces, which are the only pieces he will touch. Lee watches for a moment to make sure that Gaara will be fine alone. He walks to his drawer and digs through his sock drawer. He takes out a pair of rolled-up socks and carries it with him to the bathroom. He closes the bathroom door behind him and checks it twice to make sure that it's locked. He unrolls the socks and takes out the razor blade that he has to hide from the caretakers. He doesn't think they have caught to where he hides his razors. He looks down at his arm and finds the spot to lay down his sixth cut of the month. He slices open his skin carefully, not to draw too much blood but enough to leave a mark. Iruka won't like it when he sees it but it's the only thing Lee can do to ease the sense of guilt for hurting Gaara. He groans at the painful sensation; he doesn't think he will ever get used to the pain. He takes a deep breath and reminds himself not to make the same mistake again. He cleans the blade and puts it back into the ball of socks. He washes his wound with rubbing alcohol, gritting his teeth at the burn. He checks himself in the mirror before he unlocks the bathroom door.

Iruka stands by the door with a stern look. He reaches out his hand and turns Lee's arm over. He takes the socks. He sighs and kneels down even though it makes him shorter than Lee. He rubs Lee's shoulders and gives him a soft pat on the back.

"Have you done what I've asked you to do?" Iruka asks without using a scolding voice.

"N-no… I am sorry," Lee answers, dropping his head low.

"Lee, look at me." Iruka places two fingers under Lee's chin and brings his head back up. He smiles warmly at the teen and says, "Remember what I said. Whenever you feel like you've done something wrong, I want you to write it down in your journal. Log in the date and time, what you did, and how it made you feel. Then when I see you, I want you to bring your journal and we'll talk about the things you wrote. Can you do that?"

"Y-yes, sir."

"And instead of hurting yourself, what are you supposed to do?"

"Ten jumping jacks."

"Did you do them?"

"No, sir…"

"Are you going to?"

"Y-yes. Right now!"

"Good," Iruka smiles. He gives Lee a hug and rubs his back. He pulls away and stands up. "It's almost dinner time. Go get ready."

"Yosh!"

Lee goes back to the room. Gaara has stacked up the domino pieces and is staring at it like he is trying to knock it down telepathically. Lee gives himself enough room and starts to do the jumping jacks. Gaara looks up once at him before he turns his attention back to the tower. After the ten jumping jacks, Lee still feels horrible, especially when he thinks about how he has betrayed Iruka. The urge to leave a reminder on his arm rises. He draws in a deep breath and does ten more jumping jacks. It helps him feel a little better. He does ten more and his heart is pounding too fast for him to think about the guilt. He smiles surprisingly at the relief he is feeling. He staggers over to Gaara, his muscles sore from the exercise.

"It is time for dinner," Lee says.

Gaara looks up at the digital clock. It is actually five minutes away from dinner, but Gaara still gets up from the floor. He gets next to Lee and takes his hand. Lee grins and leads Gaara downstairs to the dining room. They join the other children on the table. They chatter loudly amongst themselves. Gaara gets in his usual seat and saves the seat next to him for Lee.

"Ah, I have to wash my hands. I will be right back."

Lee hurries into the kitchen and washes his hands while the caretakers bring out the food. It is pasta and noodle soup, which means it's Friday. Lee glances at the calendar on the fridge. His chest tenses up. He shuts off the water and dries his hands before he walks over to the fridge for a closer look. He has already been here for two weeks, which means he is going home tomorrow. Normally, Lee is very conscious of how slowly the days pass when he spends it at the home since he doesn't even want to be here. But ever since Gaara came, the days have gone by like flashes of lightning. He stares at the calendar, hoping that he is looking at the wrong date. He can't leave Gaara now; the redhead has only been here for a week and hasn't mixed in with the other children yet. And knowing Gaara's attachment level, he will throw a huge tantrum when Lee goes. Lee grits his teeth; he doesn't want to leave Gaara all by himself. Gaara will get scared and agitated. The other people won't know how to handle them. Not even Iruka knows Gaara as well as Lee does. The director still serves his food on one plate.

Lee walks back to the dining room and sees that everyone else has started eating without him. Except for Gaara, who stares at his plate of pasta. Lee gets into his seat, thinking that the caretaker has forgotten to separate Gaara's food again. But he looks and sees that meal is set exactly the way Gaara likes it to be. As soon as Lee sits down next to him, Gaara picks up his fork and eats his food hungrily. It hits Lee finally then what has happened. He has tried his best effort to not let Gaara establish routine and habits, but through his effort, he has become one of Gaara's routine. He sticks around Gaara like a shadow and Gaara has grown accustomed to having him around all the time. The redhead can't even eat without him around. Lee gulps and sighs heavily. There is no way he can leave Gaara now; the poor guy will probably stop functioning without him. Lee smacks himself mentally at the thought. He warns himself not to get too conceited. Gaara most certainly doesn't need him to function. He needed his siblings before but now he has moved on without them. Lee is certain that Gaara will outgrow him as well. He picks up his bowl and slurps his soup. Suddenly, his favorite chicken noodle soup doesn't taste like anything.

After dinner, it's group activity time. Usually, they spend the time playing a round of board game. Tonight, they settle on watching an animated movie instead. The children huddle in the living room and fight over the limited space on the couches. Lee takes Gaara to the side and sits down with him. Besides his favorite cartoon, Gaara has very little interest in watching television. Some of the children complain about how stupid it is to watch a children's movie. Some of them suggest a horror film, which is met with loud 'no's. After a good ten minutes of debating on what to watch, they pick out a movie about a rat that somehow wants to be a chef. Once the movie starts, Lee takes on his usual duty of explaining little things to Gaara. One of the children, Naruto, who has a case of ADHD, tells him to shut up. Ten minutes into the film, Naruto starts to bounce up and down on the couch, much to the dismay of the children sharing the couch.

Gaara pays more attention to his feet than the movie. Half an hour later, he slumps against Lee and looks like he is about to fall asleep though that is not possible since Gaara doesn't sleep until it's bedtime and bedtime isn't for another hour. Lee boldly thinks that Gaara is actually bored and he smiles happily at the thought of the younger boy experiencing boredom. Gaara shifts his body and stares at the leg of the couch. He alternates his attention between the couch, his feet, and the floor for the reminding film. Lee watches the movie and continues to explain certain things to Gaara, though he isn't sure if Gaara hears anything he's said.

When it's bedtime and the movie isn't over, Gaara is the only person who stands up and heads upstairs, dragging Lee with him. Lee goes with him into the bathroom and gives little help here and there to help him get ready for bed. Unlike what some people think, Gaara is quite self-sufficient; he knows how to bath and wash without someone's help. While Gaara brushes his teeth, Lee goes to the room and gets the bed ready. Gaara walks in a few minutes later and climbs into bed. Lee moves the teddy bear next to his pillow and helps pull the comforter up to Gaara's chest. He sits on the edge of the bed and smiles down at his sleepy friend. Gaara stares up at his general direction but doesn't make eye-contact.

"Good night, Gaara," Lee says with a smile, "Sweet dream."

"Sweet dream," Gaara echoes. He keeps his stare leveled at Lee's forehead.

Lee doesn't know what compels him to do it. It is probably because that he is leaving tomorrow. He pushes Gaara's bang out of the way and plants a soft kiss on the upper left corner of the forehead, where until a few days ago, the red heart sticker resided. Gaara squeezes his eyes shut and twists his head away. He lets out a small whine and scrunches his nose. Lee stands up immediately and takes a hasty step back.

"I-I am sorry! I… Please forgive me! Good night!"

He hurries out of the room, flicking off the light as he does. He runs downstairs to rejoin the other children. He huddles in the corner of the room. He tries to watch the end of the movie but his mind can't focus on the rat. He puts his chin on his knees. The overwhelming urge to 'remind' himself comes again. He gets up and walks into the hallway where he starts to do jumping jacks. He does forty of them before his legs tire out and he sits down against the wall. He presses his lips close. His heart dances wildly in his ribcage. The movie is ending and the children are walking out of the living room for bed. One of Lee's friends, Neji, walks by and gives Lee a curious look. Lee drops his head between his knees. His cheek feels hot and he doesn't really want to go to bed.

"Lee, it's bedtime," Iruka says as he walks by and heads up the stairs.

Lee gets up from the floor and gets ready for bed with the other children. When he goes to the room, Gaara is fast asleep. He climbs into bed and turns to the other way. His heart still pounds but he attributes it to the exercise. He feels sleepy but he doesn't want to sleep. He stares at the wall and listens to his roommates roll over in bed. Sleep comes much, much later.

Breakfast is the meal with the biggest variety in the home. Whereas lunch and dinner are set, the children can pick and choose what they want to eat for breakfast. Gaara isn't particularly picky when it comes to breakfast and usually eats what Lee decides for them. So it hits Lee suddenly when Gaara asks to have pancakes for breakfast. Lee roams through the cabinets and pantry but can't find the store-brought pancake batter. When he asks one of the caretakers to make a batch of pancakes for Gaara, no one really wants to. Lee doesn't know anything about making pancakes and is left with one choice: he takes Gaara to a pancake house.

Saturday mornings are busy days for the pancake house. Lee and Gaara have to wait fifteen minutes before they are seated. Normally, the children aren't allowed to leave without adult supervision but Lee has good merit and Iruka gives him the chance to take Gaara out. The director catches on to how compatible they are and knows that Lee will watch out for Gaara. They slide into the booth, and Gaara starts his routine of rearranging the table. Their pancakes arrive twenty minutes later, during which Lee talked about whatever popped into his mind. Gaara picks at his pancake and takes a big bite. He chews for a bite and swallows. He puts his fork down and doesn't take another bite.

"Do you not like the pancakes?" Lee asks, swallowing his bite.

"I want Temari's pancakes," the younger boy mumbles to his plate.

Lee nods and makes a mental note to give the oldest sister a call later. He is sure she can mail a cooked batch of pancakes out to Gaara seeing as how she mails other things to him. Gaara takes one more bite of his pancakes before he gives up eating it. Lee doesn't want the food to go to waste and pack it up to go. They walk their way back to the home since Gaara suddenly refuses to get near the bus stop. They make it in time for Gaara's math session. Gaara takes his seat and the caretaker starts to go over the math problems with him. Lee stays for a few minutes before he leaves to call Temari. Or Kankuro rather since he only has Kankuro's number. After he talks briefly with Kankuro about Gaara, he asks for Temari.

"What do you want?" Temari says with a strong hint of frustration. Lee hopes he didn't wake her up.

"I am sorry to call so ear-"

"Just get to the point," she interrupts.

"I was hoping you will make some pancakes for Gaara. He asked for them today."

"Oh," Temari's voice softens. "Yeah, sure. I will make them today and mail them."

"Thank you. It will make him very happy."

"I want to ask you something," Temari says solemnly. "What is Gaara to you?"

"Pardon me?"

"What is he to you?" Temari repeats. "Why do you care so much about him?"

"Gaara is…" Lee thinks over his choice of word. "He is my best friend."

"Really?" she says with a hint of doubt. "Do you expect him to treat you like a friend?"

"I..."

"Let me tell you something… He is the only thing that exists in his world. He only cares about himself. No matter how much you give, he'll never give you anything back. You are just… something that he is attached to right now. He'll outgrow you. I've seen it happened before. He just thinks you're a… toy that he gets to play with. He'll get tired of you and move on to other things sooner or later. I'm not trying to be mean, but that's just how it is with him. I don't want you to get your head in too deep. You are nothing to him."

"I know," Lee says quietly. "But I will not let it affect how I treat him. He is a friend to me and will always be. I do not expect him to consider me as friend in return. I am just happy being around him. And… I am most likely arrogant to think this but… I like to think that he likes having me around as well… even if I am only a 'thing' to him."

"Good," she responds in a soft voice, "good… that's what I wanted to hear. Now, you have better been taking good care of my brother. If I find one scratch on him, I'm going to break your legs."

"You… are not serious, are you?" Lee frowns in a panic, thinking of the scratch on Gaara's elbow. If it was someone else, he would've laughed at the joke. But since it is Temari, Lee will not put it pass her to actually break his legs.

"Hell yeah I'm serious! Did Gaara get hurt already?"

"N… Y-ye… Maybe…" Lee stammers. He is afraid to lie to her.

"I'm kicking your ass, kid."

"I am sorry! I will make sure nothing touches him!"

"You better or else!"

Lee feels light-hearted after his conversation with Temari. Though she hasn't said it verbally, Lee knows that she is starting to accept him. He sighs contently and goes back to the study room to find Gaara working on some basic math problems. He sits down and glances over the problems. Gaara stares hard at the paper as if hoping the answer will magically appear. He looks away for a brief moment and looks back at the problem.

"Four," Gaara mumbles the wrong answer.

"No, it's three," the caretaker responds.

Gaara drags his eyes downward and groans softly. He grabs his pencil, holding it the wrong way, and scribbles lines on the paper. The caretaker tries to stop him but gives up before she even tries. She gets up and leaves the room in – what Lee can assume – frustration. She isn't the usual one who teaches Gaara how to do math. In fact, now that Lee thinks about it, she is the one who is in charge of cooking and cleaning. He doesn't even want to know why she was trying to teach math. After she leaves the room, Gaara puts down the pencil and stares at the obscured math problems.

"You can do it, Gaara! I believe in you," Lee cheers with a grin. He sticks up his index fingers. "How many fingers am I holding?"

"Two," Gaara easily answers.

"Yes! Good job!"

Gaara looks proud of himself. He glances away and looks down at the table. Lee gathers the papers and looks through them. They are math that kindergarteners learn in their first years. He does feel bad that Gaara doesn't know basic math but he knows that he is trying really hard. He knows that Gaara wants to learn; he just needs a little extra help. Lee pushes the papers away, since Gaara seems to reject them. He picks up three pencils and starts to ask Gaara how many objects he is holding. Gaara seems to respond better to Lee's method.

"You got it! You are doing so well, Gaara!"

"Lee? Oh there you are," Iruka says, standing at the doorway. "Are you packed? Your dad is here."

One pencil slips out of Lee's hand. He blinks and barely remembers that he is going home today.

"Two," Gaara mutters at the reminding two pencils Lee is holding.

"Yes… Good job…"

"Lee?" Iruka calls.

"I will right there, Mr. Umino…"

Iruka nods and leaves the room. Lee puts down the pencils on the table and looks up at Gaara, whose eyes are on the pencils. He gives Gaara a pat on the head, which he knows Gaara doesn't mind.

"I have to go home now," Lee says quietly. "Will you be alright without me…?"

Gaara grabs the pencil and writes illegibly on the paper. Lee watches him write for a moment. He used to hate coming here because it used to make him like a horrible person. No, he doesn't think there is wrong with him but it doesn't mean that there is actually nothing wrong with him. Normal people don't cut themselves to serve as reminders. Normal people don't feel bad about every single little mistake they make. Normal people know how to move on with their lives. So yes, Lee knows there is indeed something off about him and he hates the home for reminding him about it. But now, he doesn't want to go at all. Temari has said that Gaara is attached to him. Lee is realizing how attached he is to Gaara as well. He doesn't think he can go through a day without busying himself with Gaara. And it has only been a week!

"I will be back in July. We can watch fireworks together! I… I will miss you a lot, Gaara… I hope you will miss me as well."

Gaara doesn't look up from his writing. He has filled the page up with his squiggly name. Lee gets up and walks to the door. He looks back and sees that Gaara hasn't moved an inch and his attention is full on the paper. Lee holds in a disappointed sigh. He runs upstairs to pack quickly. He doesn't have much luggage and since he returns regularly, he can leave most of his things behind. He comes back downstairs ten minutes later and walks by the study room. Gaara has stopped writing and is now staring at the leg of the table. Lee stands at the doorway, secretly hoping Gaara will understand that he is leaving. When a few minutes pass and Gaara doesn't budge, Lee turns away and heads out the door.

His foster father is waiting by the car. His foster father, Might Guy, is actually his uncle. Lee's parents passed away in an unfortunate accident and he was sent to live with his uncle for a while. Instead of passing him to a foster home, Guy decided that it would be better for him to stay. And since he loves Lee a lot, he eventually legally adopted him. It was a bit strange to shift from calling 'uncle' to 'dad', but Lee made the switch quickly. Guy is an excellent father and Lee can't possibly ask for more. Except for a mother maybe… but he doesn't want to pressure his father.

"Lee! My beautiful son," Guy exclaims. He hurries over and pulls Lee into a bear hug. "You have grown since I last saw you!"

Lee smiles at his father, deciding not to point out that it's only been two weeks since they last saw each other. His father tends to be overdramatic at times. He helps put Lee's luggage into the trunk of the car. Lee lingers in the driveway. He steals a glance back at the house and half-expects Gaara to come running to him. That is not the case. Guy holds the door open and waits for his son to get in.

"What's the matter, son? Did you leave something behind?" he asks in deep concern.

"Father… Do you think… I can stay another week?"

"Why?" Guy bellows. He looks about to burst into tears. "Are you feeling not well? Oh, it's my fault! I've been a bad father!"

"N-no, it is not you…"

"Then what is the reason? Do you not want to come home? Is it because of my foot odor? I am doing everything I can about it, son!"

"I have a friend and I do not want to leave him behind."

"Is that so…?" Guy fists his hand. "That is so… beautiful! The bond between you and your friend… Ah, that is the essence of youth! I'm so proud of you, Lee!"

"So… may I stay?"

"Well…" Guy scratches his chin in deep thought. "Let me see… It will cost more if you stay another week… and you don't really need to…"

"If it is a money issue, I can stay for only a week in July and the cost will be even out. I just think my friend needs me right now."

"That's brilliant thinking! Oh… but what about school? You can't miss another week of school!"

"I will be able to catch up when I get home."

"Of course you can! You're a genius of hard-work! There is nothing that you can't hurdle."

Guy wraps Lee into a tight embrace, patting his back a little too hard. He pulls away and looks on the verge of tears. Lee smiles at his foster father.

"Thank you, Father. I am sorry you drove all the way out here."

"Don't worry about it! Enjoy your time with your friend! Oh, I think I'm going to cry," Guy says as he gets into the car. He shouts the window, "Call me!"

"Drive safe!"

Lee waves until his father's car is out of the front gate. He smacks his forehead when he remembers that his luggage is in the trunk. He sighs; he'll have to make do without some of his clothes. He can always buy new ones. He hurries back inside the house and finds Iruka to explain the situation. Iruka gives him a brief talk about how he has to let Gaara go eventually though he does agree that Gaara needs him right now.

Lee goes to the study room but Gaara isn't there anymore. He checks the living room, the kitchen, the family room, and the dining room before he runs upstairs. He skips by the bathroom. He rushes into the bedroom and finally finds Gaara staring out the window. The windows in the room face the street and the window Gaara is guarding oversees the driveway. Lee gets next to him and peeks at the window to see what Gaara is looking at.

"Were you… watching me leave?" Lee asks.

"Don't leave," Gaara mutters at the window.

Lee looks at the window and sees that Gaara is looking at his reflection. He beams a happy grin when he sees that not only is Gaara looking at him, he is making eye-contact. Well, he is making eye-contact with his reflection but Lee can't complain. He puts his hand on Gaara's shoulder.

"I am not going anywhere," Lee says softly.

Gaara moves away from the window. He reaches for Lee's hand and latches on it tightly. He leads Lee out of the room and goes downstairs. Lee follows, curious to see where Gaara is taking him. Gaara heads inside the study room. He sits down, pulling Lee with him, by the table. He lets go and gathers the pencils on the table. He hands them over. Lee takes the pencils and is dumbfound for a moment before he understands that Gaara wants him to teach him.

"Yosh! Let us get started!" Lee shouts excitedly.

"Get started," Gaara mumbles.

Lee really doesn't care that Gaara's attachment to him may be temporal. He doesn't care that any day now - maybe tomorrow, maybe tonight - Gaara will stop wanting him around. He doesn't care he will have to leave in another week and not return for three months. All he cares right now is that Gaara needs him.

And Lee wants to be here for Gaara.

* * *

Authors Note: One more epilogue to go, which will be Kankuro-centric.


	10. Epilogue 2

Kankuro wants to punch Temari in the face. Somehow, he manages to control his anger. Instead of beating his sister, he stomps upstairs and goes sit in Gaara's room. A lot of Gaara's things have been packed and mailed to the facility. Kankuro looks around him and groans at how bare the room looks without Gaara's toys and clothes. He gets up and opens the drawers; only a few old clothes remain. If he didn't know better, he'd think that Gaara has moved out completely, which is exactly the reason why he has wanted to punch Temari. It's been a month since they came back from their vacation, and Kankuro is hoping that they will be going to visit Gaara soon, like in a week or so. Temari, of course, has a different plan. In order to be sufficient and not take their father's hand-out anymore, they will have to save up a lot of money. They need enough money to pay rent, bills, school tuitions, and other basic cost of living. Kankuro thought it would mean that they will have to cancel their cable TV service and buy the cheaper kind of toilet paper. He hasn't expected it to mean that they can't be spending money on plane tickets to see Gaara.

"You're such a fucking bitch," Kankuro shouts when he hears the news.

"If something happens, the director will let us know. Then if needed be, we can go see him," Temari says calmly.

"You said this isn't going to be a permanent thing."

"And it's not. As soon as we save up enough, we'll get him back."

"How long is that going to take?"

"If you go get a job," Temari says, finally showing some of her anger, "it'll be easier on me."

"Fine, I'll get a job. Then how long is it going to take?"

Temari stays silent as she gathers the dirty clothes off Kankuro's room floor. She throws them into the hamper and edges her way out of the room. Kankuro leaps to the doorway and stops her from leaving.

"How long?" he asks sternly.

"A few years," she answers simply. "At least."

"Fuck!" Kankuro slams his hand on the doorframe.

Temari gives a sympathetic look before she leaves and goes into the garage to do the laundry. Kankuro stomps over to his bed and flumps face-down on the mattress. He knows – or he hopes – that Temari doesn't mean they can't see Gaara for years, but he really wants his brother home. He has barely made it through the three weeks without Gaara around. Most importantly, he notices that ever since Gaara left, there has been a strain between Temari and him. He doesn't know if it's because he is still mad at her for sending Gaara away, or if it's because they have nothing in common besides being Gaara's older siblings. He is starting to think that it's the latter. Throughout his life, most of his interests have been on Gaara. Now that he thinks about, he doesn't even know what Temari is studying in college or what she wants to do once she is finished. He is right about them needing Gaara. The little brother is what anchors the family together.

Kankuro hops off the bed and hurries to his laptop. He goes online to check his bank balance. He scolds himself for not believing in saving accounts and squandering whatever money he comes in contact with. He has $215.38 in his bank account and there is a pending credit card bill of $64.75. He runs his fingers through his hair and takes a breath to stay calm. He surfs the web and looks for the cheapest flight ticket he can find. It is going to cost at least eight hundred dollars for a roundtrip. He figures he can probably spend the night at the home and no one will mind, but he can't cough up eight hundred dollars anytime soon. He does some math and calculates that if he only spends on the bare minimum, he will have enough to pay for the tickets by July or August at the latest. But of course, the tickets will probably go up in price. He slumps on the desk and sighs dejectedly. He can't believe he won't see his brother for at least four months. He barely made it four days without him.

Kankuro decides that it is not time to sulk. He grabs his phone and wallet and runs downstairs. He gets in the car, glaring at Temari by the washer and dryer as he pulls out of the driveway. He drive around town and hops from places to places looking for a part-time job. He normally has more dignity but desperate time calls for desperate measure. He won't put it above him to get a job at a fast-food place, however greasy he will come home smelling every day. Fortune smiles down on him, and Kankuro finds a part-time working at a family-own pizzeria. It's better to smell like tomato sauce than French fries.

When July rolls around, Kankuro grins happily as he cashes in his June pay check. Instead of going to summer school, as Temari and his counselor has suggested, Kankuro has been working noon to 9 at the pizzeria Monday to Friday. Like many people, Kankuro hates his job and every time he goes to work, he dies a little inside. Sometimes, he wishes he can throw his order pad at the picky and rude customers. He is tempted to spit in their pizzas or drinks. He wishes he can throw a punch at his cocky boss's face. He wishes he doesn't have to put on the stupid mascot costume and parades around the restaurant during lunch time. But he fights the urge and swallows his pride. _Do it for Gaara_, he tells himself, _do it for him_.

As soon as he gets home from work, Kankuro runs upstairs to his laptop. With his new paycheck, he finally has finished paying for the rest of the plane tickets. He pumps his arms in the air when he receives the confirmation page that his payment has been received. Since it's close to the Fourth of July, the price has gone up but Kankuro doesn't care. He can probably wait till the holiday past before he goes to see Gaara but he can't wait another day. He actually wants to spend the holiday with Gaara. The three months without his brother around has been madness. Temari and he rarely talk to each other. And when they do, it's a forced conversation about their days. The only normal conversations they have are those revolving Gaara. He needs his little brother back desperately before the reminding of their family falls completely apart.

He has kept in contact with Lee throughout the months. On the days that Lee is at the home with Gaara, Kankuro calls every night during his break at 6, which, with the time zone difference, is right before Gaara's bedtime. He talks to him and tells him about his day and his heartless boss. Sometimes Gaara will babble a response or repeat what he has said. There is no actual proof but Kankuro knows Gaara is listening, and according to Lee, Gaara expects the nightly call before he goes to bed.

Kankuro opens his closet and finds a duffel bag. He is only staying for the weekend and doesn't need too many things. He has already spoken with Iruka and the director is kind enough to let him stay at the home. He packs up three days worth of clothes and takes his pillow as well just in case. He needs socks and finds that there aren't any in his drawer. He goes to the garage and opens the dryer. He hums happily to himself as he picks and chooses what he wants. What he doesn't want, he leaves them in the dryer.

"You don't think you can unload all of them?" Temari asks as she holds the garage door open.

"Doing laundry isn't my chore," Kankuro answers. He grabs four pairs of socks and closes the dryer door, deliberately leaving the rest of the clothes.

"Where are you going?"

"Upstairs," he says with a mocking frown, like Temari has just asked the stupidest question ever.

"I saw you packing. Where are you going?"

"Didn't I tell you?" Kankuro scoots past Temari and goes back inside the house. "I'm going camping this weekend with my friends."

"No, you didn't."

"Well, now you know," he says, running up the stairs.

"When are you leaving?" Temari follows him and stands outside his door.

"Friday morning. I'll be back Sunday night… Monday morning."

"Who's going?"

"You don't know them," Kankuro says as he stuffs the socks into the bag. "Some guys from work."

"What are you going to do there?"

"Oh, I don't know. The usual. Fishing. Killing bears."

"You don't like camping," Temari scowls. "You can't stand the mosquitoes and you hate sleeping on the floor."

"That's why people invented bug spray and sleeping bag."

"We don't have a sleeping bag or bug repellent."

"Good point… Thanks for pointing that out. I guess I'll have to buy them."

"Kankuro," she sighs as she rolls her eyes, "you know you aren't supposed to spend money on anything you don't need. We are on a budget here."

"Okay, fine, I'll just… ask if one of the guys got an extra one."

Temari heaves her shoulders and walks away. Kankuro dodges a bullet and is amazed at his ability to come up with lies so quickly. Of course, if and when Temari finds out, he is going to have one hell of a problem. Until then, Kankuro is just going to enjoy the calm before the lie is found out. He hits a stump when he tries to think how he is going to get to the airport. He will just have to cough up the extra cab fare.

"Kankuro," Temari calls. She takes a step through the door but steps back again. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah… Sure."

Kankuro shoves his bag off his bed. He knows that look on his sister's face. She wants to talk, and when Temari wants to talk, there is no stopping her. She hesitates and stands near the desk. Kankuro pats the empty spot next to him on the bed, and she comes over. Now that she is sitting next to him, Kankuro can get a good look at his sister. He notices the heavy bags under her eyes and how dry her skin looks, which means she has been cutting down on her beauty products. Her nails aren't manicured and she can use a haircut. He looks away guilty once he sees the sacrifice Temari is making. He knows his sister well enough to know that she isn't the emotional kind. If anything, Temari probably wears the pants in the family. She stares down at the floor and picks up a stinking pair of socks. She shakes her head, and Kankuro snatches the socks from her.

"I was going to put it in the hamper… but… it wasn't in the bathroom and I was going to bring it downstairs but then-"

"What happened to us?" Temari asks, interrupting. "We don't talk anymore."

"Well, you know, we are both busy with our own stuff."

"Are you still mad at me for what I did to Gaara?"

"No," Kankuro says, and it is the truth, "I can't be mad at you, you know that. And… I know… it is for the best even if it sucks a lot."

"It sucks a lot," she breathes. "I miss him so much. I just… I want him here."

"Yeah… I miss him too but it's alright, we're going to have him back soon."

"I thought things would be easier without him around, but I never thought it would actually get harder. I am so used to taking care of him that I don't know what to do. I feel like… I'm crippled and..."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Kankuro shushes, "you know you're going to be stuck with him for the rest of your life 'cause you know he isn't…" He stops himself before he says too much.

"Unless we leave him at a home and cut him out of our lives. Make him into one of the relatives we only see during the holidays. Then we'll come up with excuses. Can't go. Too busy. Can't afford it… until we stop visiting him completely and push him to the back of our minds…"

"It's not going to be like that," he says sternly. "You said it yourself… we aren't dumping Gaara off."

"I'm scared."

"W-what? Why?"

"If something happens to us… who's going to take care of Gaara?"

"Well, you know… the people at the home will…"

"What if… Dad stops paying and they kick Gaara out? He isn't… going to know what to do. He'll… be homeless and people will think he's a crazy bum… and… oh god, what if some stupid punks mess with him while he's out on the street? What if they hurt him?"

"Woah, woah, what's going on here? What's up with you? Gaara's going to be okay. And if something does go out of plan, I'm pretty sure they don't just kick people out of the home. They'll probably turn Gaara over to a mental hospital. You know, the ones that are run by the government."

"What if he runs away? Where will he go?"

"He won't run away. That's the last thing you have to worry about."

"I just… I wish I know what's going with him right now. I wish… I can talk to him and see if he needs anything…"

Kankuro reaches over and puts a hand on Temari's shoulder. He pulls her a little closer and gives her a soft squeeze. Temari nods her head in gratitude and rubs her eyes.

"Gaara is strong and he knows how to defend himself. He isn't a baby anymore, you know," he teases.

"Yeah, I know…" Temari breathes out a heavy sigh. She pats Kankuro's knee and smiles at him. "What about you? Are you still a baby?"

"Tch, of course not! See these guns," Kankuro says, flexing his biceps, "you think a baby can have these?"

"Oh please," Temari rolls her eyes. She stands up and pokes Kankuro in the side of the head. "When you see him, tell him I said hi and I miss him a lot."

"H-huh…?"

Temari smiles and walks out of the room. Kankuro scratches his head. He should've known his sister is smarter than to fall for his 'camping trip' lie. At least she isn't mad about it. He reaches over for his bag and puts it back on his bed. He gathers the rest of the things he needs and zips the bag up. He hurls the bag by the door and gets ready for bed. He stares up at the ceiling with a soft smile. He is going to see Gaara in two days. He can hardly wait.

When he gets off the longest flight of his life, Kankuro takes a deep breath of the beach air. He misses the beach and loves how refreshing and clean the air is compared to the dry desert temperature. He looks out the cab window and takes in the scenery. In summer, the beach has a different feel to it. He isn't concerned about sight-seeing. He just wants to get to the home quickly, and of course the freeway has to be jammed with traffic. He groans, sinking into the backseat. Walking will get him there faster. When the cab pulls off the freeway and drives through the familiar neighborhood, Kankuro perks up and stares eagerly out the window. He almost yelps when he sees the front gate of the home and the driver pulls up to the driveway. He hurries out of the cab, nearly forgetting to pay his fare and take his bag with him. He walks up to the front door, feeling like a little boy at his first day of school: nervous, excited, and scared.

Iruka answers the door and invites in him. The director doesn't lavish Kankuro with welcome and chitchat. He takes his bag and gives Kankuro a brief run-through on where he will be sleeping and some of the rules in the house.

"Gaara is in the study room down the hall," Iruka says, pointing at the right direction.

Kankuro walks quickly through the hall that seems to stretch on endlessly. He heads into the study room and finds Gaara sitting by the desk, writing vigorously in a notebook. Kankuro steps in and finds his way next to his brother. He is at loss of words. His knees feel weak and he somehow lands on the floor next to Gaara. He takes a quick look at the notebook and sees that Gaara is writing the word 'love' over and over again. His handwriting has improved from what Kankuro remembers but is still illegible. He looks up at Gaara and grins. Gaara drops his pencil once he acknowledges the presence of a person next to him. Slowly and full of hesitation, Gaara turns his head slightly to Kankuro's direction.

"Hey, bro, it's me," Kankuro says. He reaches over and ruffles Gaara's hair.

Gaara glances at Kankuro with a frown, like he doesn't recognize his own brother. The little brother looks away and stares down at his notebook. Kankuro feels a pang in his chest. He runs his fingers through Gaara's hair slowly, hoping it will somehow refresh Gaara's memory. Gaara lets out a low whine and squirms away. Kankuro retracts his hand and hangs it over his lap.

"You're mad we left you," he says. "I'm really sorry about it."

Gaara turns toward Kankuro with a rigid stand. He stares at Kankuro's chest for a moment before he shoves his older brother down on the floor. He jumps on Kankuro and pins him down. Kankuro throws his arms up, anticipating Gaara's attack. Instead of hitting and punching, Gaara presses his forehead on Kankuro's chest. He clutches Kankuro's sleeves and emits a loud whine as he rocks slightly back and forth.

"I'm sorry, bro. I'm sorry."

Kankuro puts a hand on Gaara's back and runs his other hand through Gaara's hair. He wants to hug his brother but has a feeling that it will bother Gaara. So he stays on his back and lets Gaara rock for a moment. Once Gaara stops moving, Kankuro gently eases the smaller boy off. He sits up and grins, pinching Gaara's cheek. Gaara flutters his eyes and wears a dazed look. He rubs Gaara's back and gets up with a jump.

"Let's do something fun! Let's go out of here!"

Kankuro helps Gaara up. Gaara goes upstairs to get ready to go out. He comes back down in a new jacket that Kankuro hasn't seen before. He has a good idea who got it for Gaara. Kankuro takes Gaara out to the beach since he wants to go as well. When they arrive, it's almost lunch time and Kankuro's stomach is growling. He wanders the streets with Gaara and looks for a place to eat. The beach is crowded with summer tourists. The place hasn't changed much since spring and Kankuro is able to find his way around fairly easily. They walk past the hotel they stayed in and head for the food district.

"What do you want to eat?"

"We eat chicken nuggets on Fridays," Gaara mumbles. "Chicken nuggets."

Kankuro never knows that Gaara likes chicken nuggets or that chicken nuggets are only to be eaten on Fridays. He nods and goes to a fast food place since it's the only place he knows that serves chicken nuggets. He takes the tray of food and finds a booth near the back. He puts the box of nuggets in front of Gaara. He unwraps his burger and takes a big bite. Gaara opens the box and stares at the nuggets. Kankuro can see him quietly counting the numbers of nuggets he has. Gaara counts the nuggets twice but doesn't eat one.

"What's the matter?"

"I'm only supposed to have eight nuggets," Gaara mumbles, staring at the box.

"Oh… Well, don't mind if I do." Kankuro reaches over and takes two nuggets away. "There, better?"

Gaara takes out the nuggets and lines them into two rows of fours on the tray. He drizzles ketchup on each nugget before he eats them from left to right. Kankuro chews his burger with a content smile.

"I miss watching you eat," he says with a mouthful of food. He slurps his soda and hands it over. "You want some?"

Gaara gives the cup a look before he snatches it and takes a greedy slip. Kankuro watches him suck up half of the cup. He laughs and playfully grabs it back. Gaara looks like he is ready to fight it over with Kankuro.

"Get your own soda, brat."

Gaara turns his attention back to eating his nuggets. Kankuro notices that Gaara eats a lot faster than he used to. He hasn't done with half of his burger yet and Gaara has already finished his nuggets. He eyes Kankuro's fries with a sneaky look, like the fries are forbidden fruits. Kankuro pushes the fries over. Gaara scrutinizes them for a short moment before he grabs two and stuffs them in his mouth. He chews them with a closed mouth, like he is afraid of someone catching him eating fries. Like a mouse stealing food, Gaara grabs three more fries and pushes them in his mouth.

"Slow down," Kankuro says, "No one is going to steal them from you."

Gaara doesn't heed the advice. He grabs two more soggy fries and greedily eats them. Kankuro can't help but put an idiotic smile on his face as he watches his little brother consumes half of the fries.

"I miss you so much. We're going to get you home soon."

Kankuro takes a sip of his drink and finds that Gaara has finally finished all of it. He puts down his burger and stands up to fill his cup. There is a short line at the machine and he has to wait before he gets another cup of thirst-quenching carbonated liquid. He walks back to his booth and stares at it for a moment, thinking that he is at the wrong booth. But he sees his half-eaten burger and the empty nugget box on the tray. He looks around him and puts down his soda.

"Gaara?" he shouts, eyes scanning the place. "Gaara?"

He rushes over to the restroom and looks inside. No one is in the stall and only an old man is relieving himself. Kankuro heads back out and gives the place one last look. He doesn't see a redhead anywhere. He hurries out the doors and searches the streets. Four months ago, Kankuro could care less that Gaara has wandered off because he firmly believed that his brother cannot get lost. Now, he isn't so sure about his brother's homing ability. He takes a moment to think over the possibilities. Gaara most likely remembers the place and is probably visiting the places he went to last time. Kankuro wouldn't be surprised if Gaara goes back to the hotel.

He makes a run-through to all the places they visited last time. He stopped by the restaurants and stores. Compared to the spring season, there are a lot more summer tourists. And since the weather is hotter, Kankuro gets agitated quicker. He has never felt so helpless and scared before. If he loses Gaara, he doesn't know what he is going to do. Kankuro is on his way to the beach when he passes by the gelato shop. He runs past the glass window and comes to a halt. He stomps inside the shop and walks up behind Gaara.

"Dude, you just can't go off without telling me," Kankuro scolds.

Gaara points at the glass protecting the delicious treats. Kankuro pants to steady his pounding heart. He runs his fingers through his hair and wants to yell at Gaara for almost giving him a heart attack. But Gaara is only staring at the frozen gelato. Kankuro sighs and bends down a little next to him.

"You want the chocolate?"

"Cioccolato," Gaara mumbles, pointing at the brown gelato.

"You haven't changed a bit."

Kankuro pays for a scoop of the chocolate gelato. Gaara takes the waffle cone with both hands and licks at the dessert like a thirsty dog. He licks around the waffle cone, and Kankuro remembers that he doesn't eat the cone. He could've saved fifty cents and gotten the paper cup instead.

"Let's go to the beach," Kankuro says, waving for Gaara to follow him.

The beach is, as expected, crowded with so many people that Kankuro feels like he can't breathe. He keeps a close eye on Gaara and makes sure that his brother walks in front of him. They stroll down to the usual spot, where there is less people roaming about. They sit down by the water and watch the strong waves roar. Gaara finishes his gelato and gives the cone over to Kankuro. Kankuro eats the cone quickly and dusts his hands on his jeans.

"How are you doing in the new place? Are you getting along with the other kids?" Kankuro looks over at Gaara, who is poking his fingers in the sand. "Temari says hi and she misses you. We got a lot of money saved up and if everything goes well, you're going to be home in a few years. Temari wants to finish school first and she wants me to go to college. I keep telling her I don't have the grade for it but… she insists. College is going to cost a lot of money too and with my grade, there goes my chance for scholarships. We're probably going to have to take out a loan down the line but don't worry about it… we got it handle. You just enjoy your long vacation here and have fun. So, is there any cute girl you like? Did you make a move on her? I can probably show you a few tricks."

Gaara stares out at the ocean. A flock of seagulls soar by and one of them drops a fish on the shore. It flies down and snatches it before the other birds can get to it. Kankuro sits up and pulls Gaara closer. He buries his nose in Gaara's hair and is glad to find that his hair still has the tropical scent. He ruffles Gaara's hair and grins.

"I have class at 2," Gaara mumbles, gazing up at Kankuro's chin.

"Alright," Kankuro checks the time. They still have another hour before it's time to go. "We still got some time. Don't worry. You won't be late for class."

Kankuro and Gaara, as well as the other residents of the home, all go to the beach on Saturday to watch the firework. Lee is there as well, even though it's not his time to spend at the home yet. As soon as Lee arrives, Gaara latches on to him for dear life. Kankuro watches the scene in front of him. Gaara used to be obsessed with their uncle when he was still alive. He couldn't get through an hour without his uncle around. When his uncle passed away, it took Gaara a long time to get over it but once he did, he doesn't even seem to remember having an uncle. Kankuro hopes it won't be the case for Lee. He really likes Lee and he knows that Lee can only be good for Gaara.

When the first firework blasts into the sky, Gaara gets startled by the loud noise. Kankuro and Lee lead him away from the shore and walk into the city. The fireworks still blast loudly behind them but at least Gaara seems a little calmer. He walks in front of them and glances at the familiar surroundings. Kankuro looks over at Lee and sees how caring Lee is watching Gaara. He walks over.

"I got a question for you. It might seem a little weird but here goes," Kankuro says, "You think… you wanna live with Gaara?"

"What do you mean?" Lee asks, looking up at the taller boy.

"You know… once we get him out of the home, you think you wanna live with Gaara and take care of him and stuff?"

"I-I… I do not have an answer for that…"

"It's just Gaara is really attached to you and I don't know how he'll do without you."

"I cannot… live with Gaara. It will be… not… right. I cannot possibly take care of him on my own and where will we live?"

"I was just throwing it out there. Chill. But hey, if something happens to me and Temari, I'm leaving Gaara in your hands."

"Oh no… no! I cannot…"

"It's fine, Lee. You'll do fine. Gaara likes you. You like him. It's all good. Right?"

"I do like Gaara," Lee says. He gasps and stammers, "I only like Gaara as friend! I do not dare to think of him any other way!"

"Relax, dude. I didn't say anything."

"I am not like that," Lee says firmly.

"No, yeah, I know. I believe you."

Kankuro snickers and gives a playful nudge at Lee's shoulder. Lee blushes deeply and keeps his head low. Kankuro tucks his hands into his pockets and walk behind Gaara through the crowded streets. He is flying back out tomorrow and he doesn't plan to say good-bye this time either. He will have to save up all over again for his next ticket and that will probably take another three or four months. He really hopes he will make it in time for Christmas. If there is one holiday Gaara loves, it is Christmas. He can sit for hours and just stares at the lights on the tree without moving an inch. And though he isn't supposed to, Kankuro likes to slip Gaara a cup of alcoholic eggnog when Temari isn't looking. A tipsy Gaara can be kind of cute. If he doesn't make it, it'll be the first Christmas he will spend without Gaara, and Kankuro definitely doesn't want that. But if he really can't make it, he will definitely aim for Gaara's birthday. He'll come with a big present to make it up as well.

"Gaara," Kankuro calls, "you're walking too fast."

Gaara slows down a bit but keeps a lead. The people around them laugh and are having a good time. Kankuro watches Gaara slip in and out of the crowd, going nowhere fast but constantly disappearing out of his sight. He doesn't think he has ever felt so sad looking at Gaara's back. He also notices that Gaara seems a little taller than the last time he saw him. He lets out a slow sigh and acknowledges something he hasn't wanted to: Gaara is growing up.

Kankuro doesn't say good-bye whenever he leaves the facility and go back home. Saying good-bye is too hard for both of them. So he prefers to quietly slip out the front door and climbs into the waiting cab. The hardest time is when he is waiting in the lobby for his plane to leave. There is always that tempting feeling to go back and drag Gaara on the plane. He hopes it won't be constituted as kidnapping if he does do it. Time passes slowly in the lobby. Caught between two places, Kankuro doesn't know which way to go.

He visits Gaara again in January, having missed the December deadline. The extra month gives him some time to get Gaara a nice present. He buys Gaara his first bike. Temari doesn't allow Gaara to bike since she thinks it's dangerous but Kankuro doesn't see the harm in it. She isn't going to be happy when she finds out how much the bike costs but she doesn't have to find out. Kankuro spends the weekend teaching Gaara how to ride a bike. It takes a lot of trials and errors before Gaara can sit on the bike long enough to pedal a few steps before he goes tumbling down. Gaara has the scratches to prove his effort. Since there is a large area out in the front of the house, Gaara is able to bike around in a circle for a while every day. He isn't allowed to bike out to the streets, of course, but he likes the movement of being on a bike.

After the January visit, Kankuro doesn't visit again until half a year later in June. After the June visit, Kankuro doesn't visit until February of next year. He can't explain why his visits dwindle down. He is going into his senior year in high school and has listened to Temari to start looking into colleges. He can't afford his time and money to visit Gaara when he has his future to look forward to. It is a selfish thought, and he knows it. But Gaara will understand that it's for the best. In the start, it was weird without Gaara but as with everything in life, Temari and Kankuro get used to it. Kankuro will admit that it can actually even nice without Gaara. He can sleep as late into the day as he wants and not have to worry about feeding Gaara. He doesn't have to watch the five-o'clock cartoon. He doesn't have tantrums and fits to deal with. He has more time to himself and he even brings up his grade a lot. Despite the newfound freedom, in the dead of the night, Kankuro will sometimes think that he can hear Gaara crying. He will get out of bed and goes to Gaara's room to find only darkness. Sometimes, he will sit down and watch the cartoon that Gaara loves so much. Every time he passes by a gelato shop, his chest tightens. His most cherished time is when he gets to talk to Gaara on the phone. Even just hearing his brother's breathing helps alleviated the guilt.

The plan to get Gaara home takes three long and hard years. Nonetheless, the day does come. Temari has graduated from college and has found a stable job with a stable income. Kankuro is doing well in his first year in college and has a part time job to help support the family. They have saved up a large sum of money and give their father the middle finger. Gaara is coming home, rather their father likes it or not.

The first night Gaara comes back home, he wanders the house for hours, re-familiarizing himself with every nooks and corners. Gaara circles his room. He opens the drawers and turns on and off the television. He plays with the alarm clock and touches his bed. Temari and Kankuro watch him move through the house like a ghost. Gaara opens the fridge and looks inside. He taps the table and the chairs. When midnight arrives, Gaara is still on his mission to explore the house. He doesn't sleep a wink. According to Iruka, he has been sleeping less and less. Kankuro thinks it's because Gaara is older now and doesn't need as much sleep. He watches his fifteen-year-old brother wanders down the hallway. Gaara has gotten taller and has a wider frame now. His hair has gotten longer as well. Though he most certainly looks different, Kankuro still sees him as his baby brother, especially when he crouches into a ball and rocks himself back and forth, quietly crying next to his bed.

It takes three nights before Gaara calms down and starts to behave more like his regular self. Temari has to accommodate to the daily schedule Gaara has instilled in him. For instance, Gaara won't eat lunch unless it's 12:30 and he won't take a shower until 6 no matter even if he is dirty. He will only eat when he is used to eating at the home on designated date. Kankuro can tell that Temari wants to call Iruka up and yell his head off. It is Thursday and Thursday is taco night. Temari doesn't even like tacos. Still, she runs to the store and gets what she needs to make tacos for Gaara.

"Hey, it's time for your shower," Kankuro says.

Gaara looks up at the clock. It's only 5:58. He looks down at the book he is reading – or looking at – and flips to the next page. It is a children's book about a rabbit with bold words and pretty pictures. Gaara still has trouble reading but he has made progress to read simple sentences. He also does very basic math now. He knows how to add up to four numbers together, as long as the sum doesn't exceed thirty. His handwriting has improved a lot thanks to endless practice and he likes to copy down what he sees.

When the clock turns to 6:00, Gaara puts down his book and stands up. Kankuro follows him to the bathroom, where he has already laid out Gaara's towel and pajamas. Gaara closes the door behind, and Kankuro waits to hear the water running before he goes away. He walks into Gaara's room and picks up the notebook that he likes to write in. He flips through the pages, looking briefly at the rough handwritings. Most of the pages are filled with words or squiggly lines. Kankuro is actually quite surprised to find doodles in the last pages. Gaara has drawn little trees and a raccoon-looking animal. The drawings are childish and nothing exceptional in term of artistic skill, but Kankuro is so proud of his brother. He makes sure to show the notebook to Temari when she comes back.

He cleans up Gaara's room and then picks up his own room as well. He has made a deal with Temari: if he wants cable TV back, he has to help around the house. He figures he should've been helping around the house anyways. At 6:30, the water turns off and Kankuro makes his way back to the bathroom. Gaara comes out a few minutes later, clean and in his pajamas. His hair is dripping wet. He edges away from Kankuro and tries to go back to his room.

"Woah, wait, you gotta blow-dry your hair."

Gaara understands and walks back inside the bathroom. Kankuro grabs the blow-dryer from under the sink and plugs it in. He looks at Gaara through the mirror and grins.

"Still hate the blow-dryer?"

Kankuro turns it on and sets it to the lowest setting. It will take more time but it will be easier on Gaara's ear. Gaara stares at the faucet dully. He glances around the bathroom until his eyes land on the mirror. Kankuro runs his fingers through Gaara's hair to get out the moisture.

"So what's the deal with you and Lee? I think someones got a boyfriend," Kankuro teases. "He's coming to see you next week. I bet you're excited, aren't you? He is a good guy. He is there for you so you better treat him right. You can't find someone like Lee just around the corner. I asked again about moving in with you… he is iffy about it… he is scared he won't do a good job as your nurse… Hah, but as long as he is around, it's all good, right? I mean, I know you don't want him out of your life. He is your best friend and I know he doesn't want you out of his life either. . I'm happy for you, really, Gaara. You have… a lot of people who love and care for you."

Kankuro takes a quick glance up and freezes. Gaara is looking right at him in the reflection and he is making active eye-contact. Kankuro softens and tries to smile but his lips twist sadly downward instead. He is too old and manly to cry now, but his throat still dries up a little. He ruffles Gaara's hair and the younger brother slowly grins.

"You still like that?"

"I like it," Gaara says through the soft roar of the blow-dryer.

Kankuro takes a deep breath and clears his throat. He blinks away the blur in his eyes and chuckles at himself. He is the big brother; he needs to set a good example. What is Gaara going to think if he sees his brother crying like a little girl? Kankuro grabs the comb and runs it through Gaara's thick hair. He puts it in his schedule to take Gaara for a haircut. He turns off the blow dryer and sets it down on the counter. He rakes his fingers through the hair to make sure that it's well dry. He grins at their reflection in the mirror. It's a good picture. He likes it. He pinches Gaara's cheek and nudges him playfully.

"Welcome home, bro."

**THE END**

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Authors Note: This is one of the most emotional stories I've ever written. I was on the verge of crying a few times myself while writing this. I just… really love this story and I certainly hope you did too or at least enjoyed part of it.

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**AUTISM FACTS**

-Autism is estimated to occur 1 in 150 births.

-It is four time more prevalent in boys than girls.

-Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities.

-Autism is one of the five disorders that falls under Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders of impairment in several areas of development.

**Taken from the Autism Society of America**


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